A U.S. Army soldier from the 9th Infantry Division in Tan An, Vietnam.
A U.S. Army soldier from the 9th Infantry Division in Tan An, Vietnam.

The End of American Innocence

Seventy years after “The Quiet American,” has the country outlived Graham Greene’s prophecy?

Review
Johannes Lichtman
Books-in-brief-fiction-foreign-policy-August-2026
Books-in-brief-fiction-foreign-policy-August-2026

An ‘Odyssey,’ From a Dog’s Perspective

Plus, a satire about a Nigerian on holiday, and more international fiction in August. This article has an audio recording

Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
A collage image with a photo of Pete Hegseth seen in profile, his mouth open as he yells. Beside him is the cover illustration from the book Psychology of Military Incompetence, depicting a general in uniform, also seen in profile, with military imagery framed inside his head.
A collage image with a photo of Pete Hegseth seen in profile, his mouth open as he yells. Beside him is the cover illustration from the book Psychology of Military Incompetence, depicting a general in uniform, also seen in profile, with military imagery framed inside his head.

The Book That Predicted Pete Hegseth’s Failures

“On the Psychology of Military Incompetence” examines the narrow minds of petty men. This article has an audio recording

Review
Keith Johnson
A wall mural with three panels showing 19th-century men: a central panel of men gathered around a globe and table labeled "THE MONROE DOCTRINE - 1823," flanked by panels of soldiers in period uniforms.
A wall mural with three panels showing 19th-century men: a central panel of men gathered around a globe and table labeled "THE MONROE DOCTRINE - 1823," flanked by panels of soldiers in period uniforms.

Resurrecting the Real Monroe Doctrine

Hidden behind two centuries of aggressive presidential corollaries is an enduring appeal to hemispheric solidarity.

Excerpt
Arturo Chang
Alt text: A photo collage overlaid with the vertical green, yellow, and red colors of the Senegalese flag. The background shows monochrome images of crowds, including a man holding a sign in French reading "MON FILS NE SERA PAS HOMOSEXUEL," and a close-up of someone's clasped hands.
Alt text: A photo collage overlaid with the vertical green, yellow, and red colors of the Senegalese flag. The background shows monochrome images of crowds, including a man holding a sign in French reading "MON FILS NE SERA PAS HOMOSEXUEL," and a close-up of someone's clasped hands.

The Myth of African Heterosexual Purity

An explosive novel probes the roots of homophobia in Senegal, where a chilling anti-LGBTQ+ law just passed.

Review
Yagnishsing Dawoor
Books lie amid rubble of a destroyed house at the scene of a bombing after Russian forces launched a missile at a residential area in Kramatorsk, Ukraine.
Books lie amid rubble of a destroyed house at the scene of a bombing after Russian forces launched a missile at a residential area in Kramatorsk, Ukraine.

Inside the Race to Protect Ukrainian

Kyiv’s language revitalization program seeks to save Ukrainians’ mother tongue through complex state law. This article has an audio recording

Excerpt
Sophia Smith Galer
A man with a white beard and grey hair stands at a clear podium, speaking into a microphone. Behind him, a massive digital screen shows a close-up projection of his own face wearing a bright red baseball cap with a white star logo while holding a microphone. To the right of the projection on the screen, a large, dense crowd of supporters is visible, many with their arms raised in the air.
A man with a white beard and grey hair stands at a clear podium, speaking into a microphone. Behind him, a massive digital screen shows a close-up projection of his own face wearing a bright red baseball cap with a white star logo while holding a microphone. To the right of the projection on the screen, a large, dense crowd of supporters is visible, many with their arms raised in the air.

Will Lula Win the Century?

Brazil’s president is democratic, successful, and globally respected. This article has an audio recording

Review
Vincent Bevins
A black and white photograph of MI6 agent Kim Philby on the right, surrounded by sitting and standing photographers and journalists, all dressed in suits.
A black and white photograph of MI6 agent Kim Philby on the right, surrounded by sitting and standing photographers and journalists, all dressed in suits.

The CIA’s First Failed Coup

Kim Philby, parachute drops, and what really happened in communist Albania. This article has an audio recording

Review
Casey Michel
Books-in-brief-fiction-foreign-policy-July-2026
Books-in-brief-fiction-foreign-policy-July-2026

Surviving an Oil Spill in Louisiana, and More New Fiction for July

Stephanie Soileau’s ‘Should the Waters Take Us’ depicts a Cajun community in Louisiana. This article has an audio recording

Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
A line of commuters walking in profile against a cloudy sky, with a large, historic suspension bridge featuring two prominent towers softly blurred in the background. One person holds a brown umbrella.
A line of commuters walking in profile against a cloudy sky, with a large, historic suspension bridge featuring two prominent towers softly blurred in the background. One person holds a brown umbrella.

The Real Reason Nothing Works in Britain

Two new books hint at what’s actually beneath U.K. political and economic malaise. This article has an audio recording

Review
Marie Le Conte
A man in a blue suit and white dress shirt kicks a soccer ball mid-air on a green grass field. In the background, a referee in a yellow shirt, a young boy in a red uniform, and another player in a red kit look on, alongside bystanders standing near a red tent and net structures.
A man in a blue suit and white dress shirt kicks a soccer ball mid-air on a green grass field. In the background, a referee in a yellow shirt, a young boy in a red uniform, and another player in a red kit look on, alongside bystanders standing near a red tent and net structures.

When the Beautiful Game Meets the Ugliest Ego

A recent history of the World Cup suggests the tournament can triumph over Trump. This article has an audio recording

Review
Bobby Ghosh
01-Foreign-Policy-Magazine-Fiction-Books-June-2026
01-Foreign-Policy-Magazine-Fiction-Books-June-2026

Maggie O’Farrell’s Most Ambitious Novel Yet

Plus, a Venezuelan thriller in translation. This article has an audio recording

Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
Soldiers of the German armed forces Bundeswehr hoist a European flag in front of the Bundeswehr memorial dedicated to members of the German armed forces who lost their lives in the line of duty, on November 10, 2025 on the premises of the German Defence Ministry in Berlin, prior to a wreath-laying ceremony.
Soldiers of the German armed forces Bundeswehr hoist a European flag in front of the Bundeswehr memorial dedicated to members of the German armed forces who lost their lives in the line of duty, on November 10, 2025 on the premises of the German Defence Ministry in Berlin, prior to a wreath-laying ceremony.

Contain, Consolidate, and Co-Opt

How Europe has learned to live with great-power politics. 

Excerpt
Dimitar Bechev
A side-view medium shot of a woman with dark, short hair wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants, sitting with her hands clasped in her lap. She is seated on a red patterned armchair in a living room, with additional matching armchairs and a white bust sculpture visible in the background.
A side-view medium shot of a woman with dark, short hair wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants, sitting with her hands clasped in her lap. She is seated on a red patterned armchair in a living room, with additional matching armchairs and a white bust sculpture visible in the background.

Romania Has Perfected the Art of Forgetting

In a new memoir, Nobel laureate Herta Müller condemns her homeland for failing to reconcile with history. This article has an audio recording

Review
Laura Mills
A narrow, paved alleyway is covered by a canopy of red and white flags and portraits of a man hanging from wires overhead. Below, a few men are scattered throughout the street. On the left, a man sits on a plastic chair next to a table, looking at his phone. In the center, two men sit at another table conversing with a man standing nearby. To the right, another man sits alone against a brick wall. Two white cars are parked in the middle of the alleyway.
A narrow, paved alleyway is covered by a canopy of red and white flags and portraits of a man hanging from wires overhead. Below, a few men are scattered throughout the street. On the left, a man sits on a plastic chair next to a table, looking at his phone. In the center, two men sit at another table conversing with a man standing nearby. To the right, another man sits alone against a brick wall. Two white cars are parked in the middle of the alleyway.

Authoritarian Transformation in Istanbul’s Old City

Two new books seek to capture the changing reality of Turkey and the world.

Review
Selim Koru
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