The Great Rift: Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and the Broken Friendship that Defined an Era

A Book Conversation with James Mann

Speaker

• James Mann, Author-in-Residence, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Moderator

• Derek Chollet, Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor for Security and Defense Policy, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

As part of its Future of American Power series, The German Marshall Fund of the United States is pleased to welcome you to a conversation with journalist and SAIS Author-in-Residence James Mann to discuss his new book The Great Rift: Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and the Broken Friendship that Defined an Era. Tracing the friendship—and then antagonism—between these two influential men, the book reveals how their personal relationship shaped two decades of American policy. Mann draws on interviews and archival material to present a compelling narrative with global implications.

The conversation, which will be moderated by GMF Executive Vice President Derek Chollet, will explore the ideological differences that drove Cheney and Powell apart. More broadly, it will discuss the impact both of these statesmen had on the presidencies of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush and unpack lessons learned from the foreign policy legacies of both administrations.

GMF’s Future of American Power series discusses new books focusing on U.S. power in the world. In line with GMF's mission to strengthen transatlantic relations, these conversations specifically focus on the implications of U.S. foreign policy for its European partners, as well as other key regions for the transatlantic relationship.

If you have any questions, please contact Helen Simpson at +1 202 683 2640 or [email protected].