From the Marshall Plan to COVID-19

This memoir describes events and anecdotes from James Lowenstein's long international career in government and the private sector. Lowenstein was best known for his richly detailed reports on the war in Vietnam that often contradicted official accounts from the Nixon White House. His frequent visits to Southeast Asia included forays into the villages and jungle outposts for talks with peasants, village chiefs, and field-grade American officers, giving Lowenstein insights that he conveyed to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His reports were excerpted by newspapers and quoted on the nightly news, making Lowenstein a front-page name.

Lowenstein later became ambassador to Luxembourg and, worried about the French-American relationship, co-created the French-American Foundation to foster bonds between the two countries. He helped develop the group's signature Young Leaders Program, which brings together early-career politicians, lawyers, diplomats, artists and others from France and the United States. Alumni include Bill and Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the most recent presidents of France, François Hollande and incumbent Emmanuel Macron.

Lowenstein's long career in foreign affairs, which began with his working on the Marshall Plan in Paris in 1950, covered a time when United States' global leadership was at its zenith and offered opportunities to help other nations work toward peace and prosperity.