McMahon.

I was a little skeptical upon beginning this book due to its broad topic and the broad time period it covers. It seemed it would just be a cursory review of things we've all heard before. I was pleasantly surprised at the time that McMahon spends on countries normally left out of the narrative of the US in Southeast Asia - Laos, Cambodia, Burma, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. He makes sure to cover their changing reactions and domestic political situations through the Cold War and the escalating involvement of the United States in Southeast Asia, whether its Cambodia's refusal to be a pawn in the Cold War or Indonesia's fortunate favorable shift towards the United States during the Vietnam War (83, 199). It was also easy to pick out McMahon's acknowledgment of what Schlesinger has labeled the 'imperial presidency.' The roles, beliefs, attitudes, and struggles of the administrations of FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, LBJ, and Nixon. These men are given a central role in the story and the increased role of the President in the post-FDR world is evident. From Truman trying to continue the unclear policies of FDR to Eisenhower's and Kennedy's escalation of involvement in the region, Johnson's dilemmas, and Nixon's 'Vietnamization' and 'peace with honor.'