Nixon’s Ten Commandments Of Statecraft, His Guiding Principles of Leadership and Negotiation with Commentary and Lessons from history by James C. Humes

This was an interesting book. James Humes has performed exceptionally well in putting this book together. Each of Nixon’s Ten Commandments are in a chapter and then Humes takes one historical character and ties each to one of Nixon’s commandments.

I. Always be prepared to Negotiate, but Never negotiate without being prepared. Nixon and Winston Churchill

II. Never be Belligerent, but always be firm. Nixon and General Santa Anna

III. Always remember that Covenants should be openly agreed to but privately negotiated Nixon and Prince Metternich

IV. Never seek publicity that would destroy the ability to get results. Nixon and Neville Chamberlain

V. Never give up unilaterally what could be used as a bargaining chip. Make your adversaries give something for everything they get. Nixon and Benjamin Franklin

VI. Never let your adversary underestimate what you would do in response to a challenge. Never tell him what you would not do. Nixon and Benjamin Disraeli

VII. Always leave your adversary a Face-Saving line of retreat. Nixon and Douglas McArthur

VIII. Always carefully distinguish between friend who provide some human rights and enemies who deny all human rights. Nixon and Sir Anthony Eden

IX. Always do at least as much for our friends as our adversaries do for our enemies. Nixon and Pericules

X. Never lose faith. In just case faith can move mountains, Faith without strength is futile, but strength without faith is sterile. Nixon and Napoleon III

I now move to another book……Oh what will it be?