cover image It Takes One to Tango

It Takes One to Tango

Edward L. Rowny. Potomac Books, $22 (273pp) ISBN 978-0-02-881037-9

The author served on the SALT II delegation for six years and later headed the U.S. team at START (the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks). Here he reminisces about the personalities and policies of five presidential administrations as they dealt with arms control. Rowny discusses why he thinks Richard Nixon overrelied on Henry Kissinger, reveals why Gerald Ford circumscribed Kissinger's diplomatic duties, analyzes Jimmy Carter's technical approach to arms control problem-solving and offers fresh insights into Ronald Reagan's personal negotiating techniques during the four summit meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev. As for George Bush: Rowny finds him a leader without a plan or even fundamental beliefs and devoid of the strong sense of purpose that so characterized Ronald Reagan. The most memorable sections of the memoir, however, have to do with the art of negotiating, at which Rowny is an ac- knowledged master. He presents a list of what he considers the 10 most important dos and don'ts, which U.S. negotiators should follow to ensure more positive results. Readers will also find here an illuminating analysis of the importance of recognizing cultural differences in international negotiations. Rowney is refreshingly frank about these differences. (Oct.)