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"“Douglas Dillon had one of the most important American public careers of the 1950s and 1960s. In this gracefully written and engaging book, Richard Aldous adroitly recounts Dillon’s role in the domestic and foreign policies of the United States in those years and his considerable influence on both.” Michael Mandelbaum, Johns Hopkins University and author of The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower “Richard Aldous vividly brings to life a vastly underappreciated, extraordinarily accomplished “wise man” of the post-war period who played an outsized role in helping Ike, JFK, and LBJ navigate the Cold War and nourish prosperity for America and the world. With a fast-paced writing style, and with gripping detail that he uses to great effect, Aldous shows how the calm, courteous, measured, and understated Douglas Dillon grew from political neophyte to savvy Washington insider, from a Wall Street banker of great privilege to a tough, adroit, polished, and ultimately commanding figure of great U.S. and global influence. I learned a great deal from The Dillon Era, enjoyed the literary ride immensely, and can’t recommend it highly enough to Cold War historians and the general public alike.” Lawrence J. Haas, author of The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire “With vivid insights and lively prose, Richard Aldous resurrects a forgotten man of mid-twentieth-century America, a Wall Street banker who served Ike, JFK, and LBJ with equal loyalty and distinction – a natural balancer whose life makes for poignant reading in our polarized age.” David Reynolds, Cambridge University and author of America, Empire of Liberty “An informative, appreciative study of C. Douglas Dillon, secretary of the Treasury in the Kennedy administration … Mr. Aldous, a history professor at Bard College and the author of a well-regarded biography of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., makes a persuasive case for Dillon’s beneficial role in the tumultuous history of postwar America.” The Wall Street Journal ""Aldous, a professor at Bard College in New York state, underscores Dillon’s achievements, portraying his seminal contributions to American foreign and economic policy. These are detailed in an excellent work of historical non-fiction. Calm, reasonable and measured, Dillon did not draw attention to himself; he just quietly shaped and implemented policy. Aldous’s study rescues Dillon from historical obscurity, illuminating an unsung figure."" The Winnipeg Free Press"

Douglas Dillon had one of the most important American public careers of the 1950s and 1960s. In this gracefully written and engaging book, Richard Aldous adroitly recounts Dillon's role in the domestic and foreign policies of the United States in those years and his considerable influence on both. Michael Mandelbaum, author of The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower Richard Aldous vividly brings to life a vastly underappreciated, extraordinarily accomplished wise man of the post-war period who played an outsized role in helping Ike, JFK, and LBJ navigate the Cold War and nourish prosperity for America and the world. With a fast-paced writing style, and with gripping detail that he uses to great effect, Aldous shows how the calm, courteous, measured, and understated Douglas Dillon grew from political neophyte to savvy Washington insider, from a Wall Street banker of great privilege to a tough, adroit, polished, and ultimately commanding figure of great U.S. and global influence. I learned a great deal from The Dillon Era, enjoyed the literary ride immensely, and can't recommend it highly enough to Cold War historians and the general public alike. Lawrence J. Haas, author of The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America's Empire With vivid insights and lively prose, Richard Aldous resurrects a forgotten man of mid-twentieth-century America, a Wall Street banker who served Ike, JFK, and LBJ with equal loyalty and distinction - a natural balancer whose life makes for poignant reading in our polarized age. David Reynolds, Cambridge University and author of America, Empire of Liberty

“Douglas Dillon had one of the most important American public careers of the 1950s and 1960s. In this gracefully written and engaging book, Richard Aldous adroitly recounts Dillon’s role in the domestic and foreign policies of the United States in those years and his considerable influence on both.” Michael Mandelbaum, author of The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower “Richard Aldous vividly brings to life a vastly underappreciated, extraordinarily accomplished “wise man” of the post-war period who played an outsized role in helping Ike, JFK, and LBJ navigate the Cold War and nourish prosperity for America and the world. With a fast-paced writing style, and with gripping detail that he uses to great effect, Aldous shows how the calm, courteous, measured, and understated Douglas Dillon grew from political neophyte to savvy Washington insider, from a Wall Street banker of great privilege to a tough, adroit, polished, and ultimately commanding figure of great U.S. and global influence. I learned a great deal from The Dillon Era, enjoyed the literary ride immensely, and can’t recommend it highly enough to Cold War historians and the general public alike.” Lawrence J. Haas, author of The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire “With vivid insights and lively prose, Richard Aldous resurrects a forgotten man of mid-twentieth-century America, a Wall Street banker who served Ike, JFK, and LBJ with equal loyalty and distinction – a natural balancer whose life makes for poignant reading in our polarized age.” David Reynolds, Cambridge University and author of America, Empire of Liberty

Douglas Dillon had one of the most important American public careers of the 1950s and 1960s. In this gracefully written and engaging book, Richard Aldous adroitly recounts Dillon's role in the domestic and foreign policies of the United States in those years and his considerable influence on both. Michael Mandelbaum, author of The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower Richard Aldous vividly brings to life a vastly underappreciated, extraordinarily accomplished wise man of the post-war period who played an outsized role in helping Ike, JFK, and LBJ navigate the Cold War and nourish prosperity for America and the world. With a fast-paced writing style, and with gripping detail that he uses to great effect, Aldous shows how the calm, courteous, measured, and understated Douglas Dillon grew from political neophyte to savvy Washington insider, from a Wall Street banker of great privilege to a tough, adroit, polished, and ultimately commanding figure of great U.S. and global influence. I learned a great deal from The Dillon Era, enjoyed the literary ride immensely, and can't recommend it highly enough to Cold War historians and the general public alike. Lawrence J. Haas, author of The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America's Empire

Author Information

Richard Aldous is Eugene Meyer Professor of British History and Culture at Bard College.

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