US grand strategy and the Madman Theory

From Nixon to Trump

By: James D. Boys

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Hardcover | 5 May 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover
280 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.32 x 12.7 x 2.06

Hardcover

$214.49

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US grand strategy and the Madman Theory: From Nixon to Trump explores how U.S. presidents have used calculated unpredictability as a tool of foreign policy and the dangers that come with it. Richard Nixon pioneered the tactic, projecting a volatile persona to pressure adversaries like North Vietnam and the Soviet Union into concessions, hoping they'd fear he was unhinged enough to go nuclear. Decades later, Donald Trump revived the approach in his own chaotic, improvisational style, leveraging erratic behaviour to keep both allies and enemies off balance. While Nixon's version was tightly controlled and behind the scenes, Trump's was a public spectacle, blurring strategy with impulsiveness. This book examines how both leaders weaponised perception to gain leverage, and what that reveals about power, psychology, and leadership on the world stage. A gripping, timely look at how madness-real or performed-can be a feature, not a bug, in American diplomacy.

Industry Reviews

As featured in The Sun, Daily Express, The Spectator's Americano podcast & ABC News

'A provocative and insightful examination of the madman theory as it developed under Richard Nixon and helps drive policy in the second Trump administration today.'
Fredrik Logevall, author of JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century

'Donald Trump has blown up the traditional world order, detonating everything we thought we knew about US foreign policy. James Boys explains how and why that has happened. Fascinating, essential reading to understand grand strategy in a world upended by Trump. Boys is an authoritative, riveting guide.'
Brian Klaas, author of Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How it Changes Us

'Essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of the last sixty years of American power - and where it's headed next.'
Amie Parnes, co-author of Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House

'A provocative, non-partisan examination of the development and enactment of the madman theory as US grand strategy that places contemporary policy debates within a comparative historical framework.'
John Bew, author of Realpolitik: A History

'A perceptive, intelligent, and engaging history of the intellectual roots and uses of threats of extreme military force by the Eisenhower, Nixon and Trump administrations.'
Tom Wells, author of The Kissinger Tapes

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