Turmoil and Triumph

George P. Shultz recounts his years as secretary of state under Ronald Reagan, from 1982 to 1989, which began with fighting in Lebanon, a Soviet buildup in the arms race and terrorism at a peak. He describes initiatives in the Middle East and behind-the-scenes talks with Israelis and Palestinians, candid exchanges with the Chinese and Japanese, and his meetings with the Soviets. Shultz also details the State Department's power struggle with the CIA and with White House and National Security Council staff, which came to a head in the Iran-Contra affair. Portraits of figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, Deng Xiaoping, Cap Weinberger and Bill Casey run through the memoir.

James Mattis included it on the list of favorite books in an appendix to Call Sign Chaos.