The Foreign Service Journal, November 2010

Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution Stephen Zunes and Jacob Mundy, Syracuse University Press, 2010, $49.95, hardcover, 424 pages. Stephen Zunes and Jacob Mundy bring the Western Sa- hara into focus in this dense primer, the first book-length treatment of the protracted conflict that has been simmering in this corner of Africa for more than two decades. Rather than a strict chrono- logical approach, the authors divide the book into three thematic parts: war, chronicling the three decades of conflict over the region; nationalism, a broad historical analysis of the most important factor in the conflict; and irresolution, an analysis of the history of failed efforts to resolve the conflict. Stephen Zunes is chair of the Middle Eastern Stud- ies program and professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco. He is the au- thor of Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism (Common Courage, 2003). Jacob Mundy is a doctoral candidate at the University of Exeter’s In- stitute of Arab and Islamic Studies, where he specializes in the North African region. African Wars: A Defense Intelligence Perspective William G. Thom, ADST- DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Series, University of Calgary Press, $34.95, paperback, 276 pages. A timely look at the history of recent wars in sub-Saharan Africa, African Wars by William Thom is also the 42nd volume in the ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Se- ries. Even though Africa south of the Sahara is the most conflict-prone region of the world, it has a notably lower profile in media coverage of international conflict, per- haps because of its complicated post-colonial history and interlinking conflicts across the continent. WilliamThom analyzes sub-Saharan Africa’s conflicts and their legacies, including the Second Congo War (1998-2003), whose bloodiness and involvement of eight countries prompted observers to name it “Africa’s World War.” African Wars is also an account of Thom’s work with various U.S. agencies and his field experience. A retired professional intelligence officer, William Thom served for 35 years with the Defense Intelligence Agency. He was the senior Africanist at DIA from 1987 to 2002 and now works as an educator, consultant and public speaker on African affairs. Dealings: A Political and Financial Life Felix Rohatyn, Simon and Schuster, 2010, $27, hardcover, 275 pages. “ Dealings is no ordinary memoir, as befits its author, Felix Rohatyn,” says Henry Kissinger. “Looking back on his extraordinary life, from a chance reprieve from a Nazi death camp to the heights of finance, politics and diplo- macy, his story is an American saga, well-written and thoughtful.” For decades, Lazard Freres investment banker Felix Rohatyn was a prominent figure at the intersection be- tween high finance and American politics. Dealings is a personal account of his working life, fromhigh-stakes ne- gotiations on Wall Street to his tenure as U.S. ambassa- dor to France from 1997 to 2000. Rohatyn also discusses his role in preventing New York City’s bankruptcy in the 1970s in the face of Presi- dent Gerald Ford’s refusal to help bailout the city (the headline of the New York Daily News read “Ford to City: Drop Dead”). The book concludes with the author’s perspective on the 2008 financial crisis and the hubris of a new generation of financiers that caused the worst downturn since the Great Depression. “He has matched wits with a legion of high-flying en- trepreneurs, earned a reputation as a financial miracle worker, and gained the respect of presidents and the public alike for his outstanding service to our country,” says former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. “In Dealings , Rohatyn shows that he is also a master sto- ryteller.” Felix Rohatyn recently returned to Lazard Ltd. as a special adviser to the chairman and CEO. During his lengthy career he served as managing director of Lazard and chairman of the Municipal Assistance Corporation of New York (1973-1992). 44 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 OF RELATED INTEREST