Reviews for Realism And American Foreign Policy

The average rating for Realism And American Foreign Policy based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-07-30 00:00:00 Cynthia Fedo Interesting reflection on life in professional basketball. This books features moments about the trivial (Bradley's ruminations on nachos). It also depicts the wildly different personalities on the New York Knicks' team--from Dick Barnett to Phil Jackson to Walt Frazier to Willis Reed and so on. One learns about the individuals and how they did mesh as a team. It discusses at the end of the book, too, why some players retire (note his discussion on Dave DeBusschere). One of the better "life in a sports season" books around. Especially interesting as one traces the arc of Bill Bradley's life after basketball. . . .

Review # 2 was written on 2018-05-14 00:00:00 Joseph Ahmad Life on the Run (1976) by Bill Bradley is an account of 20 days of Bradley's time as a New York Knick in the 1973-74 season. It's well worth reading for a basketball fan to get an idea of what the NBA was like in the 1970s before it really took off in the 1980s. For anyone interested in this the 1970 NBA final game 7 can be watched on YouTube along with various other highlights of that Knicks team. It's also worth noting that Bradley would be a US Senator 3 years after the book was written and was a serious challenger for the Democrat's presidential nomination in 2000. The book has a lot on Bradley's team mates, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Willis Read, Dick Barnett and Phil Jackson. Of those Phil Jackson is of particular interest given he would go on to coach very successfully at Chicago and Los Angeles. Bradley captures really well what it's like to be part of a team that spends their lives so closely together for 8 months a year. There is also a lot on the grind of what it was like to travel at that time and their grueling schedule, the disruption to sleep and life on the road. Bradley also reflects on what it was like to be a top basketball player, what he and all of his team mates had done to get there and what it was like for their bodies to fade as they aged and ponder their post basketball careers. The players were well paid at the time, but nothing like what would come in future decades. Bradley was unusual at the time for doing no endorsements outside playing. It was also an NBA with two referees and no three point line. Bradley candidly discusses racial attitudes and how the black players grew up and are treated. The back room staff, particularly the coach Red Holzman also get lots of attention. Life on the Run is very much worth a read for any basketball fan. For people interested in the future Senator Bradley it's also worth a look.