Seize the Moment: America's Challenge in a One-Superpower World

by Richard M. Nixon

Book Overview

The former president defines the future challenges facing America as the Cold War ends, Communism collapses, and new opportunities open up in the world of international politics. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671743430
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Don't let the Author Turn you away

This book is a recipe for any current president as we look to establish peace not only around the world, but starting with the Middle East. I got this book some time ago largely to just put on my bookshelf. After years sitting there, I read it because I have read a lot about Richard Nixon, but never anything by him. So sum up the book, it provides a prescription with statistical and analytical supporting argument for the way forward in world politics as the one remaining superpower. I did not realize what I was going to read about until I started reading and now must place it right next to Kissinger's book on the same subject. While both men are despised by many from the political left, I believe their worldviews are required reading to formulate balanced views. When I contrast both books I find Nixon focused on the world of finance and business and Kissenger focused on politics and power. Both have a common denominator, which is national security. Nixon begins his worldviews much like Kissenger with Europe. But Nixon brings Russia into the mix much more prominently. In doing so he provides a lot of data to support his argument that Gorbechov was a half-wit when measured up for the job he undertook. He paints a picture with numeric data on economics to demonstrate Gorbechov's basic misunderstanding of fundamental economics. With regard to the oppressive measures he imposed upon his people and his neighbors while at the same time promoting glastnost, and prestroika shows the conflicted side of Gorbechov. Gorbechov's policy and actions are painted as a contradiction in terms on both economic and human liberties fronts. After reading the chapter on Russia, I came away with yet another example of the Nobel Peace prize being a Swedish lark. Nixon saw the rest of Europe with a few minor concerns. He shares a fear of Empire Europe and a Eastern Block that would be subject to civil war. His fear of an EU albeit muted seems to have come to fruition just as he visualized. In my opinion, today's EU has many national conflicts that leave the idea of Fortress Europe unlikely and at the same time an EU, lead by the power hungry French and Germans, that is prone to tell the United States to go home. That is until some civil conflict requires us to return and help resolve the conflict militarily, as in Yugoslavia. Keep in mind the French and Germans have yet to prove themselves as a prime mover to mediate an international dispute to a peaceful end. As Nixon moves to Asia, he leads with Japan. Here you discover his propensity to lead the world through economic policy and sound business practice. As opposed to the impression he left in his role of the inherited Viet Nam fiasco. He recognizes Japan's entanglement of government and business, but is clearly critical of those in the united States who seek protectionism. In moving to China you get a glimpse of Nixon's 1968 vision on China......please see the rest of my review including the Middle East by doing a k

A great book

Richard Milhous Nixon (1913-94) is well remembered for the Watergate scandal, but he is also remembered as one of the greatest foreign policy strategists that the United States ever had. Seize the Moment was President Nixon's next-to-last book, and was published in 1992. This was after the successful end of the Cold War and the first Gulf War, when talking-heads were talking about the "end of history," and/or that America was a declining power that needed to withdraw from world leadership. In this book, President Nixon argues against these myths, and outlines the course that the United States must take in dealing with the rest of the world. Included are chapters on the former Soviet Union, Europe, the Pacific Triangle, the Muslim world, and the southern hemisphere. However, the best chapter is the final one - The Renewal of America - in which he discusses what needs to be done to renew the United States, and prepare it for the challenges of the future. Overall, I found this to be a great book, one that really shows off President Nixon's abilities. Indeed, while reading this book I couldn't help but wish that Presidents Clinton and Bush the Younger had read it. This is a very interesting book, one that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to consider where the county is going from here.

World's view of a respectable politian

I think the previous review is a little bit unfair. Nixon was certainly an old man when he wrote the book but his mind was clear. Remember he had been there and he knew that it is not pretty in the international arena. Someone said he was a paranoid, but remember that these paranoids exist so that the normal people can be watching their mindless TV and buying their new cars. We don't want to believe that terrible things exist in this world when you are surrounded by the media. Actually it is everyone duty to fight against the "evils (many liberals nowadays considered that as a matter of opionions)." So, please give me a break when you have done nothing for your country but critized a respectable political view from a less-than-perfect politian (should be considered as flawless when compared to Mr. Clinton).