Lu Rudel describes his unique experiences with U.S. foreign economic aid programs during some of the most dramatic international events since World War II. These include Iran after the fall of Mosaddegh (1956-60); Turkey after the military coup of 1960 to the start of the Cuba Missile crisis; India after the death of Nehru (1965-70); and Pakistan following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1988. Rudel’s firsthand observations on Iran differ markedly from the description of events commonly espoused by some historians and journalists.

The author also provides a firsthand account of the political metamorphosis over the past half-century of the “Group of 77” nations as they employed the U.N.’s economic development agencies to press for a “New International Economic Order.” These experiences led him to draw significant lessons about the conduct and effectiveness of foreign aid.

The author, a Holocaust refugee, came to the United States in 1938.  He earned a BA in International Relations from City College of New York, an MA in International Policies from New York University and an MA in Economics from University of Michigan.  He served in the US Army during the Korean conflict; and then in the US Foreign Service, retiring in 1980.  He continued to perform consulting services for another 22 years, for the US Government, the World Bank, and various UN Development agencies.  At the same time, he formed a small scale enterprise with some of his associates and built a 1,000 acre resort in upper Appalachia. 

 He is also the author of Foreign Aid:  Will it ever reach its Sunset? a monograph published by the Foreign Policy Association of New York in 2005 (ISBN 0-87124-215-X).