Gary J. Bass is the author of Freedom’s Battle: The Origins of Humanitarian Intervention and Stay the Hand of Vengeance: The Politics of War Crimes Tribunals. He is a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University. A former reporter for The Economist, he often writes for The New York Times and has also written for The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The New Republic, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Slate, and other publications.
"This is a dark and amazing tale, an essential reminder . . .
Devastating . . . Shocking . . . Nixon and Kissinger spent the
decades after leaving office burnishing their images as great
statesmen. This book goes a long way in showing just how undeserved
those reputations are."
—Dexter Filkins, The New York Times Book Review
"[A] gripping and well-researched book . . . Sheds fresh light on a
shameful moment in American foreign policy . . . Admirable
clarity."
—The Economist
"A profoundly disturbing account of the hitherto hidden role of
Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger in the slaughter of hundreds of
thousands . . . Bass has defeated the attempted coverup through
laborious culling of relevant sections of the Nixon White House
tapes, declassified State Department documents and interviews with
former officials, American and Indian, who were involved . . .
After reading Bass's account of this shameful episode, one has to .
. . conclude that where the Bengalis were concerned, Kissinger and
Nixon simply did not give a damn."
—Neil Sheehan, The Washington Post
"Bass takes us inside the Oval Office to reveal the scandalous role
America played in the 1971 slaughter in what is now Bangladesh.
Largely unknown here, the story combines the human tragedy of
Darfur, the superpower geopolitics of the Cuban missile crisis and
the illegal shenanigans of Iran-contra . . . [A] harrowing
tale."
—Peter Baker, The New York Times, Favorite Book of the
Year
"Devastating . . . Excellent . . . Bass, a historian at Princeton,
has written an account—learned, riveting, and eviscerating—of the
delusions and the deceptions of Nixon and Kissinger. Steeped
in the forensic skills of a professional academic historian, he
also possesses the imaginative energies of a classical moralist,
and he tells the story of the choices and the decisions that led to
the slaughter in Bengal . . . appropriately as a moral saga . . .
Indispensable."
—Sunil Khilnani, The New Republic
"A riveting read with direct relevance to many of the most
acute foreign-policy debates of today."
—Gideon Rachman, Financial Times
"Absorbing . . . Bass draws up a severe indictment of Nixon and
Kissinger."
—Pankaj Mishra, The New Yorker
"The best book I read this year was Gary Bass's The Blood Telegram,
which showed through superb reporting and excellent analysis that
Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger gleefully abetted the slaughter
of hundreds of thousands of innocent Bengalis . . . Excellent."
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Republic, Best Books of the Year
"Thankfully, Princeton University professor Gary Bass has provided
us with a helpful reminder of Nixon's true character. In The Blood
Telegram, Bass expertly recounts the stunning indifference of Nixon
and . . . Henry Kissinger to the reports from US diplomats of
Pakistani genocide . . . Vivid, often disquieting detail from Oval
Office tapes unearthed by Bass . . . Bass has performed an
essential function."
—Michael Cohen, The Guardian
"[A] superb book . . . Bass deploys White House recordings,
including several new transcripts, to excellent effect, and .
. . the book contains enough material to make the reader
sick . . . Astonishing . . . A morally serious book that
nevertheless reads like a first-rate novel."
—The Times Literary Supplement
"It was a non-subject for scholars, a no man's land for knowledge .
. . [u]ntil the arrival of a memorable book by Princeton professor
Gary Bass . . . While doing justice to the victims, also, for the
first time, draws out for us its lessons . . . The book is
also a tribute to politics in its true sense . . . I do want
readers to be aware of the appearance of Gary Bass' book, which I
hope will be widely read (and translated into French!) . . . A
return to Bangladesh is required reading."
—Bernard-Henri Lévy, Le Point
"[A] stellar new book . . . Astonishing . . . The Blood
Telegram . . . remedies that omission. . . A meticulously
researched and searing indictment of the shameful role the United
States played . . . The book tells of the damage wrought when world
leaders abandon rational calculation and allow their country's
interests to be subordinated to personal prejudices and
animosities."
—Foreign Policy
"Bass has written the definitive account of the political
machinations behind one of the worst (and most widely ignored)
humanitarian crises of the 20th century . . . Bass also offers
Americans much-needed context about America's pre-9/11 involvement
in a region where it still finds itself with bloody hands . .
. Nuanced yet unflinching . . . Bass shines a much-needed
spotlight . . . Fascinating and truly frightening."
—Nick Turse, The Daily Beast
"Blistering . . . [A] must-read."
—The New York Post
"Gripping, thoroughly researched, concisely organized, and
engagingly written . . . Impressive."
—Harold H. Saunders, Foreign Affairs
“Chilling. . . . Astonishing. . . . Bass is religious about not
reading minds, not guessing at or speculating about Nixon’s or
Kissinger’s consciousness or motivations, not going beyond the
record of their words. . . . The evidence in Bass’ book . . . is
absolutely convincing.”
—Arnold R. Isaacs, Salon
"A vital contribution . . . Bass is the first to investigate
in any detail the complicity of President Richard Nixon . .
. Bass's meticulous scholarship demonstrates how both Nixon
and Kissinger . . . became witting accomplices to this genocide . .
. Important . . . He demonstrates an extraordinary grasp of the
internal politics of the country [India] . . . Bass's
painstaking research and his scrupulous portrayal of the choices
that created permissive conditions for the genocide should now lead
to a much-needed reappraisal of the foreign policy legacies of both
individuals."
—Sumit Ganguly, International Security
"Gripping and excruciating . . . A powerful reminder of the
frailty of international law in international crises . . . A
must-read . . . Remarkable."
—European Journal of International Law, Best Books of the Year
"Fascinating . . . [A] rich book, constantly shifting between
Washington, New Delhi and Islamabad, all corners of the narrative
expertly covered by the author . . . Bass's skill in unravelling
the complex strands . . . is admirable."
—Michael Young, The National
"A searing indictment . . . A shocking tale . . . We witness
here the best of American diplomatic tradition . . . against the
worst in the White House . . . The Blood Telegram sends an acidic
whiff from the past to the present through a deeply cautionary
tale."
—William Thorsell, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
"Amazing . . . Bass exhumes the tragic, relatively unknown
story."
—The Japan Times
"It has been a long time since I have read a book that has spoken
as powerfully to me as The Blood Telegram. The relevancy and power
of this book stems from the basic moral dilemmas that it addresses
on practically every page. Every person planning to join the United
States Foreign Service, or already serving should read this
book."
—American Diplomacy
"Admirable . . . Vivid . . . Useful—and often frightening—insights
. . . Poignant."
—Teresita C. Schaffer, Survival
"Excellent . . . Illuminating . . . Very well-written. The pages
almost turn themselves."
—Asian Review of Books
"Gripping . . . [An] uncommonly fine addition to the histories of
the Cold War era . . . The immediacy of good page-turning
journalism."
—National Catholic Reporter
"Unsettling . . . It breaks new historical ground with rigorous
scholarship . . . Insightful and chilling."
—Idaho Statesman
"Harrowing . . . A damning portrait . . . Tremendously lucid . . .
Bass holds these leaders to a much-needed reckoning. A deeply
incisive lesson for today's leaders and electorate."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred), Best Books of the Year
"With urgent, cinematic immediacy, Gary Bass reconstructs a
critical—and, to this day, profoundly consequential—chapter of Cold
War history defined by appalling American complicity in genocidal
atrocity and terrifyingly high-stakes superpower brinkmanship. It
is a story of immense scope, vividly populated by figures of
enduring fascination, and ripe with implications for the ongoing
struggle to strike a more honorable balance between wartime
realpolitik and our ideals of common humanity."
—Philip Gourevitch, author of We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow
We Will Be Killed With Our Families
"Gary Bass has excavated a great tragedy, one that's been forgotten
by Americans but is seared into the memory of South Asians. His
talents as a scholar, writer, and foreign-policy analyst are on
full display in this brilliant work of narrative history. Nixon and
Kissinger come damningly alive on the pages of a book that shows,
like nothing else I’ve read, the folly that goes by the name of
'realism.' "
—George Packer, author of The Unwinding: An Inner History of the
New America
"Gary Bass has done it again, uncovering a dark chapter in the
historical record and bringing it vividly to light, forcing us to
confront who we were then and who we are now. The Blood Telegram is
a richly textured story with many fascinating layers, from the
moral bankruptcy of U.S. leaders in the face of genocide to the
multi-faceted politics of South Asia and the lasting geopolitical
legacy of these events. It's also simply hard to put down!"
—Anne-Marie Slaughter, author of A New World Order
"Gary Bass is unique: an investigative historian who explores the
past in a masterly way that combines the best of journalism and
scholarship. His latest book reads like an urgent dispatch from the
frontline of genocide, a lucid and poignant description of a moral
collapse in American foreign policy. Bass has painstakingly written
a vital history—and a story, in the best sense of the word—that we
must come to grips with."
—Peter Maass, author of Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War
"The most notable new arrival on most people’s bookshelves is Gary
Bass' Blood Telegram . . . Readers are given a full account of the
horrors of that near-genocide, and of the cynicism of Richard Nixon
and Henry Kissinger. It is a remarkable achievement, and deserves
to be on every shelf."
—Mihir S. Sharma, Business Standard
"[An] engrossing, droll, and ultimately shocking account of
Bangladesh’s liberation war, as seen from Washington . . . Bass's
meticulously researched book resurrects the reputation of an unsung
diplomat."
—Salil Tripathi, Mint (New Delhi)
"This is an immensely absorbing book for those interested in not
just Indo-US relations but the making of foreign policy in
democracies as a whole."
—The Indian Express
"The book sets the record straight of a disgraceful period in US
foreign policy . . . Brutal detail . . . Nixon stands disgraced
over Watergate but his wilful role in the genocide in East Pakistan
had not till now received the full historical attention it
deserved."
—Minhaz Merchant, The Times of India
"He writes in a vivid and racy style and never fails to hold the
reader's attention. The book is a thoroughly researched and damning
indictment . . . Bass demolishes Kissinger’s defence . . . Deeply
perceptive."
—Outlook India
"[A] gripping, if sordid, story . . . A startling revelation."
—Shougat Dasgupta, Tehelka
"Gripping. His material is so rich and his research so
detailed that it is difficult to put down the book once one begins
to read it . . . Bass has accomplished something truly
remarkable."
—The Asian Age
"A scathing indictment . . . Bass . . . dismantles the smug aura of
success that has generally been attached to the Kissinger-Nixon era
. . . The book combines a racy narrative with meticulous
research and excellent academic rigour. . . Bass offers a
fresh perspective."
—The Hindu
"A monumental account."
—Economic & Political Weekly (Mumbai)
"Most admirable and thorough . . . An accomplished scholar of
human rights, Bass draws on a mass of documents and tapes to shed
light on the United States of America's involvement . . .
Bass's cumulative indictment of Nixon and Kissinger is formidable .
. . The wealth of detail and the range of insights in this fine
book."
—Srinath Raghavan, The Telegraph (Kolkata)
“A must read . . . It is one of the finest books on the
1971 war written by a neutral observer . . . The author makes an
honest effort to find out what made the US administration a mute
spectator in one of the worst genocides of our times.”
—CNN-IBN
"Very important . . . Painstaking . . . Valuable . . . The book
connects the killing fields of Bangladesh to the idyllic setting of
the White House and presents the strongest link between them in
public till now . . . A close view into the inner mind of
power."
—Himal Southasian (Kathmandu)
"An absorbing book . . . A fine portrayal . . . A damning
indictment . . . A meticulous investigation . . . Remarkable . . .
A precious contribution."
—The Daily Star (Dhaka)
"The Blood Telegram by Gary Bass is the best single account of how
the United States responded to the 1971 Bangladesh independence war
. . . Highly readable . . . A justly lauded work . . . A uniquely
fascinating glimpse into the operation of power at the highest
levels . . . Vivid . . . The best researched and most lucid
indictment of the Nixon White House . . . Will certainly stand the
test of time. . . It is a worthy tribute to Archer Blood's
integrity and professionalism and holds invaluable truths and
lessons for future generations."
—Dhaka Tribune
"Fascinating . . . Unique . . . The book is a powerful indictment
of Nixon and Kissinger."
—The Friday Times (Lahore)
"Gripping . . . A chilling and bare-knuckle account . . . A
scalding view . . . The book spares no players."
—The News International (Pakistan)
"Eminently readable and exhaustively researched . . . Gripping . .
. The book is peerless in the sheer quality and quantity of
sources it uses . . . An unmatched account."
—Dawn (Karachi)
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