NATO

I went into *NATO* expecting the usual NATO: a fusty history of treaties and summit declarations delivered in a monotone. Instead, I got a bracing, often biting examination of how the alliance has repeatedly failed to deliver on its promises—without ever veering into cynicism. Kleinman’s narration was the secret weapon here; his voice has the reassuring tone of a professor who’s seen it all and isn’t impressed, but also the energy of someone who still cares about the subject. He nails the book’s tonal shifts, whether dissecting the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis or the 2014 Wales Summit, where NATO’s members scrambled to react to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The standout moment? Kleinman’s delivery of Rynning’s unflinching assessment of the 2011 Libya intervention—where NATO’s success in toppling Gaddafi masked deep fissures in the alliance’s strategic vision. That’s the kind of insight that sticks. My only quibble is the book’s occasional drift into wonkishness, particularly in the chapters on NATO’s internal bureaucracy. At times, Rynning gets bogged down in the minutiae of command structures and procurement debates, which slows the narrative to a crawl. Kleinman does his best to keep things moving, but the material resists easy digestion. The other critique? The book’s epilogue feels rushed, as if the publisher pressed Rynning to wrap things up quickly for the 75th anniversary angle. Still, these are minor flaws in an otherwise sharp, timely listen. If you’ve ever wondered why NATO’s members can’t agree on anything these days—or why the alliance still matters at all—this is the audiobook to set you straight.