Please join us virtually for a conversation with former Secretary of Defense and bestselling author Robert Gates for the paperback release of his latest book, Exercise of Power: American Failures, Successes, and a New Path Forward in the Post-Cold War World (Publish Date: May 4, 2021). This event will be streamed on our YouTube channel. Pre-signed copies of Secretary Gates’s book can be purchased on our website.

Since the end of the Cold War, the global perception of the United States has progressively morphed from dominant international leader to disorganized entity. Robert Gates argues that this transformation is the result of the failure of political leaders to understand the complexity of American power, its expansiveness and its limitations. He makes clear that the successful exercise of power is not limited to the ability to coerce or demand submission, but must also encompass diplomacy, strategic communications, development assistance, intelligence, technology, and ideology.