John Foster Dulles: The Road to Power

In the first volume of a projected two-volume definitive biography, the author traces Dulles's life from childhood to 1952, just before he became Secretary of State. By looking closely at the development of his ideas and at his extensive experience in the legal representation of international business, Pruessen adds enormously to our understanding of a man far more complex than his stereotyped public image would suggest. A solid, original study.