In this absorbing personal memoir, former National Security Adviser Robert C. McFarlane takes you inside the central events which have shaped our lives and our country in the late twentieth century. He also provides a riveting account of behind-the-scenes White House maneuvering and how personal agendas and the misuse of power have affected global politics and led to declining trust in elected officials. From the jungles of Vietnam where he served as a Marine officer, to the corridors of power where for nine years he served Presidents Nixon, Ford and Reagan, McFarlane provides a rich mosaic of what it means to wield power in international politics.