Exeter alumnus Dr Daniel Zoughbie publishes new book on US Foreign Policy

Dr Daniel Zoughbie (2008, DPhil International Relations), has published his latest book, Kicking the Hornet’s Nest: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump. 

In this groundbreaking investigation, Dr Zoughbie examines how the choices of twelve US presidents have fuelled turbulence and turmoil in the Middle East over the last 80 years. The book argues that US foreign policy has persistently chosen “defence over diplomacy and development,” with far-reaching consequences. Drawing on his research, Dr Zoughbie identifies an unlikely model for a more successful approach: President Gerald Ford. He argues that Ford “knew what the right thing to do was and he did it,” helping to secure a lasting peace with Egypt. 

Dr Zoughbie, who studied at Oxford as both a Marshall and a Weidenfeld Scholar, is a complex-systems scientist, historian, and expert on presidential decision-making. He currently serves as an associate project scientist at the Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley and holds faculty affiliate positions at the UCSF/UCB Centre for Global Health Delivery, Diplomacy, and Economics and the New England Complex Systems Institute. 

Kicking the Hornet’s Nest has received significant advance praise, including a starred review from Kirkus and commendation from former CIA Director Leon E. Panetta. The book ultimately calls for a return to diplomacy and development to manage the region’s escalating complexity. 

You can purchase your copy of Kicking the Hornet’s Nest: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump from Blackwells and other booksellers. 

Kicking the Hornet’s Nest by Dr Daniel Zoughbie