Overview
This is the definitive account of the ideas, politics, and diplomacy that went into the historic decision to expand NATO to Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing on the still-classified archives of the U.S. Department of State, Ronald D. Asmus recounts how and why American policymakers, against formidable odds at home and abroad, expanded NATO as part of a broader strategy to overcome Europe's Cold War divide and to modernize the alliance for a new era.Editorials
Foreign Affairs
An early enthusiast of NATO enlargement, Asmus was a principal aide to Madeleine Albright and Strobe Talbott during the Clinton administration. He has now written a detailed history based on State Department archives and input from nearly all the important participants. It is an impressive story of how Washington tried to reconcile the wish of the eastern European states to be part of a reunited Europe with Moscow's desire to be a partner of the United States. Over the years, the first enlargement of NATO gave way to a new partnership between the alliance and Russia, and then to a redefinition of NATO's mission. It is difficult to read this book today, however, without some melancholy. So much hope and passion among enlargement's champions, so many prophecies of gloom and doom among its opponents, and so much self-congratulation when enlargement came about with Russia's acquiescence — and later when NATO took on a major new role beyond the borders of Europe. Asmus gives a fair (and polite) picture of the fierce divisions within the administration, and he records the caution of several allies and the changes of mood in Moscow at a time when the alliance was deeply internally divided over the Yugoslav wars. But those wars are mentioned rather skimpily here, and NATO's role — without Russian support — as a substitute for international legitimization in the Kosovo air war is beyond the bounds of this narrative.The portraits of the main actors are unfailingly diplomatic. American self-satisfaction is unquestioning. (Was it really George H.W. Bush who reunified Germany within NATO?) The missed opportunity of France's reentry into NATO is, of course, gently blamed on JacquesChirac. But in the end all we have gotten is a second enlargement that was smoother than the first and a collective endorsement of America's war on the Taliban and on terrorism. These achievements are merely symbolic, since the current administration has made it clear that, except for the British, allies are no longer needed. Thus the title of this scrupulous book could have been "Much Ado About Very Little." The explosions of September 11 have pushed old familiar landscapes into the darkness.
Library Journal
Asmus, who was involved in negotiations leading to the inclusion of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in NATO's 1999 expansion, provides a strikingly detailed account that spans both Clinton administrations. NATO expansion is of exceptional significance as a case study in post-Communist diplomacy. In 1993, President Yeltsin signaled that Russia would "not object" to Poland's NATO membership, but it took nearly four years of painstaking negotiations to pass the "NATO-Russia Founding Act" sanctioning Russian acceptance. In light of improved Russian-American relations and a second round of NATO invitations, Asmus's praise for Clinton's NATO strategy seems justified. The book's clarity and detail recommend acquisition by all academic and larger public libraries.-Zachary T. Irwin, Pennsylvania State Univ., Erie Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.Journal of American Studies
Asmus has written a detailed insider's account of NATO enlargement.— Robert McGeehan
Foreign Affairs
Detailed... impressive... Asmus gives a fair picture of the fierce divisions within the administration, and he records the caution of several allies and the changes of mood in Moscow at a time when the alliance was deeply internally divided over the Yugoslav wars.
Washington Post
Asmus shares his ringside seat with his readers, which can be most informative, and great fun.— Robert G. Kaiser
Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-Indiana)
As the Alliance debates its future following the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, this book is required reading about the first post--Cold War effort to modernize NATO for a new era.
NATO Review
Asmus's book is a success story.
Timothy Garton Ash
A unique firsthand account of one of the most important foreign policy developments of our time.... Asmus is at once witness, analyst, and historian.
Washington Times
Mr. Asmus's book is the work not just of a historian but of a visionary.— Sarah Means Lohmann
National Journal
The book serves as an engaging history lesson relayed by someone with first-hand experience, as well as an authoritative manual for high-stakes negotiations that weaves together insights on both American diplomacy abroad and the foreign policy-making process at home.
American Studies International
As long as one is aware that there is more to the story, one must recognize that Asmus makes a vital contribution to it. Opening NATO's Door offers details on American dealings with Russia and Eastern Europe that are often left out — or unknown — by others. Asmus gives us a rich discussion of how the Clinton Administration developed its preferences and its strategy for achieving them.— Thomas S. Mowle
The Journal of Slavic Military Studies
Asmus' book provides a new and rich contribution to the literature of NATO expansion. His study will be a useful resource for any student of American foreign policy, as well as experts on NATO.— Ryan C. Henderson
Journal of American Studies -
Asmus has written a detailed insider's account of NATO enlargement.
Washington Post -
Asmus shares his ringside seat with his readers, which can be most informative, and great fun.
Senator -
As the Alliance debates its future following the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, this book is required reading about the first post—Cold War effort to modernize NATO for a new era.Washington Times -
Mr. Asmus's book is the work not just of a historian but of a visionary.
American Studies International -
As long as one is aware that there is more to the story, one must recognize that Asmus makes a vital contribution to it. Opening NATO's Door offers details on American dealings with Russia and Eastern Europe that are often left out -- or unknown -- by others. Asmus gives us a rich discussion of how the Clinton Administration developed its preferences and its strategy for achieving them.
The Journal of Slavic Military Studies -
Asmus' book provides a new and rich contribution to the literature of NATO expansion. His study will be a useful resource for any student of American foreign policy, as well as experts on NATO.
History: Reviews of New Books
It does a brillant job of tracing out push and pull and personanilty factors in the laborious move toward enlargement.
— Beth Greener-Barcham
History: Reviews of New Books
It does a brillant job of tracing out push and pull and personanilty factors in the laborious move toward enlargement.— Beth Greener-Barcham
History: Reviews of New Books -
It does a brillant job of tracing out push and pull and personanilty factors in the laborious move toward enlargement.