This is the story of an ascent to power, with no pretense to complete biography. My purpose is to draw an informed, thoughtful portrait of the relatively unknown man who became Secretary of State in the Reagan administration and who moved through the highest levels of American government for more than a decade before. It is a portrayal of who he is, what he represents, and how he rose to high office; of the forces and experiences that shaped him; of the quality of his mind and of his public service; of what we might expect of a career and potential still unfinished. The narrative traces the general's progress to the Senate confirmation in early 1981, and deals only incidentally with the events of the first year in the State Department. - Preface.