The Core Narrative: "The Oval Office Transforms the Occupant"
" Faces of Power: Constancy and Change in United States Foreign Policy from Truman to Obama " is a non-fiction historical analysis by . Rather than a fictional narrative, it tells the story of how American power has been wielded—and how it has changed the men wielding it—from the end of World War II through the start of the 21st century. Faces of power : constancy and change in United...
While the goals remained similar, the premises—how to handle nuclear proliferation, Middle East upheavals, and the rise of China and Russia—constantly shifted based on the era's unique challenges. The Core Narrative: "The Oval Office Transforms the
The account moves through decades of shifting global landscapes, focusing on several recurring "faces" of American power: The account moves through decades of shifting global
The book’s central "story" is that the responsibility of leading the world’s most powerful nation often transforms the president more than the president transforms the world. Brown illustrates this through the "faces" or worldviews of various leaders:
The narrative reveals the personal and political struggle of reconciling American ideals, like the rule of law, with the often-perilous demands of national security.
His story is one of significant evolution, showing a president who actively changed his worldview while in office more than any of his predecessors.