On Friday, May 16, Washington’s political, media, and diplomatic circles gathered at The House at 1229 to celebrate the release of Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America’s Great Power Prophet, the acclaimed new biography by Financial Times columnist and commentator Ed Luce.
The event was hosted by Tammy Haddad, Teresa Carlson, Juleanna Glover, and Helen Milby, and brought together a lively crowd for an evening of conversation, reflection on strategic leadership, and a toast to one of America’s most influential foreign policy thinkers.
Teresa Carlson opened the program with brief remarks and introduced Luce, who spoke about the making of the book and Brzezinski’s lasting relevance in today’s shifting global landscape. The diplomatic community was well represented, with British Ambassador Peter Mandelson and Reinaldo Avila da Silva—still riding high from the recent tariff deal with President Trump—joining Polish Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Bogdan Klich and his wife Anna, who shared warm stories from their 20-year friendship with Dr. Brzezinski. The group raised their glasses to toast Niamh King, Luce’s wife and director of the Aspen Security Forum. Meanwhile, Karalee Geis, a Trump White House aide, along with Robert Costa, Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal, and other guests, traded thoughts on everything from Cold War history to the future of diplomacy—and then, the party kept going.
As the night unfolded, guests sipped champagne, enjoyed ice cream sandwiches and late-night pizza, and danced through the historic halls of 1229. What began as a thoughtful book salon evolved into a spirited celebration — a fitting tribute to Brzezinski’s intellect and charisma, and to the vibrant Washington community that came together in his honor.
LINK TO BUY BOOK HERE: Zbig | Book by Edward Luce | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster
Notable Guests Included: British Ambassador Peter Mandelson and Reinaldo Avila da Silva, New Zealand Ambassador Rosemary Banks, Polish Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Bogdan Klich, German Deputy Chief of Mission Axel Dittmann, Niamh King, Senay Bulbul, Maryam Mujica, Tina Anthony, Bob Costa, Stuart and Barbara Jones, Karen Knutson, Heather Florance, Chloe Autio, Alexis Marks, Kevin Walling, Liz Johnson, Robyn and Jeremy Bash, Angeli Chawa, Matt Gorman, Peter Baker, Phil Rucker, Peter Pham, Sydney Paul, George Conway, Josh Dawsey, Govind Shivkumar, Adam Branch, Don Graham, Charlotte Smith and Evan Hollander.
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