James F. Byrnes (1879–1972)

The memoirs of the now-forgotten figure of American politics. The book lightly touches on his roles as Supreme Court justice and wartime administrator, and for the most part focuses on his oft-frustrating tenure as Secretary of State. (The manuscript was delivered July 1, 1947, a few months after his resignation.) Some humour comes through Byrnes' descriptions of the post-war meetings, but there's also a simmering level of irritation and anger directed at the Russians. Byrnes is very circumspect in recounting his resignation as Secretary of State, perhaps being a good party man; in this respect, the memoirs may not be fully true to history. One interesting tidbit shows that Byrnes knew shorthand, and took notes at the conferences. Generally recommended, though keep in mind some biases.… (meer)