"We’re not respected by our allies." : A Conversation with James A. Baker, III

With the Bark Off: Conversations on the American Presidency

James A. Baker, III was one of the most consequential statesmen of the latter half of the 20th century. A power broker in Washington during the Ford, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush administrations, Secretary Baker held three different cabinet positions, twice served in the role of Chief of Staff, and ran five presidential campaigns. As Secretary of State for George H.W. Bush, he was widely credited with facilitating a peaceful end to the Cold War and working to reunite Germany in its wake.

His eventful life is chronicled in the bestselling book “The Man Who Ran Washington,” by New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker and New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser.

In this conversation, Secretary Baker is joined by authors Peter Baker and Susan Glasser to discuss Secretary Baker’s extraordinary journey in government and how his Washington differs from that of today.