The Back Channel

A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal

By: William J. Burns

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, William J. Burns

“A masterful diplomatic memoir” (The Washington Post) from CIA director and career ambassador William J. Burns, from his service under five presidents to his personal encounters with Vladimir Putin and other world leaders—an impassioned argument for the enduring value of diplomacy in an increasingly volatile world.

Over the course of more than three decades as an American diplomat, William J. Burns played a central role in the most consequential diplomatic episodes of his time—from the bloodless end of the Cold War to the collapse of post–Cold War relations with Putin’s Russia, from post–9/11 tumult in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Middle East to the secret nuclear talks with Iran.

In The Back Channel, Burns recounts, with novelistic detail and incisive analysis, some of the seminal moments of his career. Drawing on a trove of newly declassified cables and memos, he gives readers a rare inside look at American diplomacy in action. His dispatches from war-torn Chechnya and Qaddafi’s bizarre camp in the Libyan desert and his warnings of the “Perfect Storm” that would be unleashed by the Iraq War will reshape our understanding of history—and inform the policy debates of the future. Burns sketches the contours of effective American leadership in a world that resembles neither the zero-sum Cold War contest of his early years as a diplomat nor the “unipolar moment” of American primacy that followed.

Ultimately, The Back Channel is an eloquent, deeply informed, and timely story of a life spent in service of American interests abroad. It is also a powerful reminder, in a time of great turmoil, of the enduring importance of diplomacy.

Review

A great book that explains the inner workings of American diplomacy and how it has shaped US foreign policy over the last few decades. It also shows the vital and important role The State Department plays in keeping up and showing how important America’s role in the world is. William Burns does a excellent job in chronicling his years with The State Department and making a case for why the US needs diplomacy. Burns also explains how diplomacy can be made more effective as well as how it can tackle the future foreign problems America faces. A awesome book for anyone interested in U.S foreign policy.

Staff the State Department!

Sharply written and inspiring, this is a tale of highs, lows and triumphs in statecraft. The foreign service and diplomats are, unfortunately, not frequent headliners in the crisis obsessed media. Their contributions to averting crisis the world over have shone a bright light into some of civilizations darkest moments. Burns personal story is an inspiring and thoughtful journey around the world.

Refreshing, diplomatic, informative

A breath of fresh air, listening to an intelligent individual describing events and interactions in a diplomatic manner. I learned a lot that about the back channels of recent world events. I pray our country can re-establish it's diplomatic influence after being devastated by this current administration.

Pretty fast paced

Anyone interested in politics should find this engaging, you don't have to be a State Department employee or international relations student in order to enjoy it. Not exactly edge-of-your-seat pacing, but plenty interesting enough to keep your attention. For a book about the inner workings of diplomacy that's an accomplishment in itself.

Truly an interesting autobiography

William Burns has had a front row seat to most of the major diplomatic events of the last a several decades. He writes as if an objective observer that places country above party and real work pragmatism above blind ideology.