Originally published in 1990, this volume looks at the Carter administration and the policy decisions his national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and the Secretary of Defense Harold Brown during the presidency. Referring to case studies of Carter administration decision making which in the author's view demonstrate Brzezinski's transformation from brokerage to an advocate role- SALT II in early 1977, Ogaden War in 1977-78, the normalisation of US relations with China (1978) and the fall of the Shah of Iran in 1978-79.