This is thinking in public, a program dedicated to intelligent conversation about

front-line theological and cultural issues with the people who are shaping them.

I'm Albert Mole, your host and president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Will Enboden is the executive director of the Clement Center for National Security and Associate Professor of Public

Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his PhD in history from Yale University,

and he has already had a distinguished career in public service in national security and in the academy.

He served at some of the highest levels of the United States government, including tenure as the senior director for strategic planning and institutional reform for the National Security Council.

He's also worked for the National Intelligence Council and for the historical advisory panels for both the CIA and the State Department.

He's authored numerous books and written commentary and articles for the Wall Street Journal,

the New York Times, and the Washington Post.

I'm so glad today to be talking about his most recent book, The Peacemaker, Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the world on the brink.

That book is the topic of our conversation today.

Professor Enboden, welcome to thinking in public.

Thank you, Dr. Mueller. it's great to be with you.

You know, there are books that I think demand attention because of the importance of reviewing a certain portion of history, making a certain argument.

There are others that take a fascinating personality and evaluate and

re-evaluate. And yet for me this is the the absolute crossing point intersection of

intense personal interest personal history world history the the end of the

Cold War the breakup of the Soviet Union and the singular person of

Ronald Reagan redefining the political landscape. How did you decide to put all that into one book?

So yeah it was it was an evolving process.

You know, it had started as a closer technical look at his,

...