View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the "Wise Men" does Isaacson report to have served in active service during WWI?

2. Where does Isaacson claim Averell Harriman was when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941?

3. Isaacson reports which "Wise Man" worked to implement Franklin Roosevelt's Lend Lease program?

4. What Assistant Secretary of War does Isaacson cite as fearing American isolationism after WWII?

5. What does Isaacson cite as the difference between Kennan's and Chip Bohlen's approach to preparing for their chosen field?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which of the "Six Wise Men" does Isaacson report came to know the family of another through his father's employment?

2. How does Isaacson claim that Robert Lovett's father started in his work for E.H. Harriman?

3. Who does Isaacson identify as the two men that Secretary of War Henry Stimson called the "Heavenly Twins"?

4. Where does Isaacson report Dean Acheson started his career after WWI?

5. How did Averell Harriman and Robert Lovett come to work together after WWI, according to Isaacson?

6. What does Isaacson report to be the difference between George Kennan's approach to training for the foreign service and that of Chip Bohlen?

7. What does Isaacson report that George Kennan believed Marxism offered to Soviet Russian leaders?

8. What kind of jobs did John McCloy's mother find for him during his youth, according to Isaacson?

9. What military action did Joseph Stalin demand from his British and American allies once the United States entered WWII, according to Isaacson?

10. What does Isaacson claim to be Averell Harriman's view regarding Russia building a tier of states friendly to its system in Eastern Europe?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dean Acheson and John McCloy followed different legal careers to become very important influences throughout the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Explain how their different legal experiences and connections led to their accessing positions through which they shaped policies from the 1930's throughout the 1970's.

Essay Topic 2

Isaacson on several occasions throughout The Wise Men suggests that the "Wise Men" and various leaders in the government were fighting against "isolationist" desires of the general public and various political leaders. What evidence does Isaacson offer to support the idea that "isolationism" was a threat to America's future, and how did the internationalism of the "Wise Men" affect them and the country?

Essay Topic 3

Isaacson clearly takes a complementary view of the six "Wise Men." Consider the total effects of their influence from the past to the present. Do you agree with his assessment? Is Isaacson's perspective justified? Is his view reflective of political or social affinities? Who most benefited from the influence of the "Wise Men"? Who, if anyone suffered? Were the six individuals on whom The Wise Men focuses really wise? Use information from the book and research on relevant events from history and current events to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 828 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample