The envoy : from Kabul to the White House, my journey through a turbulent world

Zalmay Khalilzad grew up in a traditional family in the ancient city of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. As a teenager, Khalilzad spent a year as an exchange student in California, where after some initial culture shocks he began to see the merits of America's very different way of life. He believed the ideals that make American culture work, like personal initiative, community action, and respect for women, could make a transformative difference to his home country, the Muslim world and beyond. Of course, 17-year-old Khalilzad never imagined that he would one day be in a position to advance such ideas. With 9/11, he found himself uniquely placed to try to shape mutually beneficial relationships between his two worlds. As U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq, he helped craft two constitutions and forge governing coalitions. As U.S. Ambassador to the UN, he used his unique personal diplomacy to advance U.S. interests and values. In The Envoy , Khalilzad details his experiences under three presidential administrations with candid behind-the-scenes insights. He argues that America needs an intelligent, effective foreign policy informed by long-term thinking and supported by bipartisan commitment. Part memoir, part record of a political insider, and part incisive analysis of the current Middle East, The Envoy arrives in time for foreign policy discussions leading up to the 2016 election. Preface: from Kabul to Baghdad: Kabul, June 20, 2015 Part I. Early life Poppy fields and tree-lined boulevards: Afghanistan, 1951-1965 Journey to the other side of the world: the United States, 1966-1967 Into the cauldron of politics: Kabul and Beirut, 1968-1974 Aspiring strategist: Chicago and New York City, 1974-1979 The Mujahedeen and the halls of power: New York and Washington, D.C., 1980-1989 Containing Saddam: Washington, D.C., 1988-1992 Crafting grand strategy for a unipolar world: Washington, D.C., 1991-1992 One nation's disintegration, one man's destiny: Washington, D.C., 1993-2001 Part II. Bush administration The calm before the storm: Washington, D.C., January-September 2001 America under attack: Washington, D.C., September 2001 A quest for leaders in tyranny's shadow: Washington, D.C., and Bonn, Germany, September-December 2001 Return to Kabul: Kabul and Washington, D.C., January-June 2002 Loya Jirga: Kabul, June-July 2002 Eyes elsewhere: Washington, D.C., December 2002-February 2003 Planning post-war Iraq inside Iraq: Ankara, Turkey, and Salahuddin, Iraq, February 2002 Iraq: from liberation to occupation: Washington, D.C., and Baghdad, March-May 2003 Accelerating success in Afghanistan: Washington, D.C., May-November 2003 Ambassador: Kabul, November 2003 to January 2005 Builders versus spoilers: Afghanistan, 2003-2004 Fruits of democracy: Kabul, 2004-2005 Preparing for Iraq: Washington, D.C., November 2004-July 2005 Repairing Iraq: Baghdad, july-December 2005 Forging a national unity government: Baghdad, December 2005-May 2006 Struggling against the cycle of sectarian violence: Baghdad, 2006-2007 Permanent representative to the United Nations: New York, 2007-2009 Part III. America in the world A more dangerous world: 2015 A life of lessons in strategy and statecraft: 2016 and beyond.

Zalmay Khalilzad grew up in a traditional family in the ancient city of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. As a teenager, Khalilzad spent a year as an exchange student in California, where after some initial culture shocks he began to see the merits of America's very different way of life. He believed the ideals that make American culture work, like personal initiative, community action, and respect for women, could make a transformative difference to his home country, the Muslim world and beyond. Of course, 17-year-old Khalilzad never imagined that he would one day be in a position to advance such ideas.

With 9/11, he found himself uniquely placed to try to shape mutually beneficial relationships between his two worlds. As U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq, he helped craft two constitutions and forge governing coalitions. As U.S. Ambassador to the UN, he used his unique personal diplomacy to advance U.S. interests and values. In The Envoy, Khalilzad details his experiences under three presidential administrations with candid behind-the-scenes insights. He argues that America needs an intelligent, effective foreign policy informed by long-term thinking and supported by bipartisan commitment.

Part memoir, part record of a political insider, and part incisive analysis of the current Middle East, The Envoy arrives in time for foreign policy discussions leading up to the 2016 election.

"One of the most influential and highest-ranking US government officials of Muslim descent details his experiences as the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the U.N., and offers insights and analysis of the current Middle East" (ed.).