Kissinger on Kissinger: Reflections on Diplomacy, Grand Strategy, and Leadership

by Winston Lord, Henry Kissinger

In a series of riveting interviews, America's senior statesman discusses the challenges of directing foreign policy during times of great global tension.

As National Security Advisor to Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger transformed America's approach to diplomacy with China, the USSR, Vietnam, and the Middle East, laying the foundations for geopolitics as we know them today.

Nearly fifty years later, escalating tensions between the US, China, and Russia are threatening a swift return to the same diplomatic game of tug-of-war that Kissinger played so masterfully. Kissinger on Kissinger is a series of faithfully transcribed interviews conducted by the elder statesman's longtime associate, Winston Lord, which captures Kissinger's thoughts on the specific challenges that he faced during his tenure as NSA, his general advice on leadership and international relations, and stunning portraits of the larger-than-life world leaders of the era. The result is a frank and well-informed overview of US foreign policy in the first half of the 70s―essential reading for anyone hoping to understand tomorrow's global challenges.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, Biography, Historical, Leadership, American History

176 pages, Hardcover

Published May 14, 2019

Reviews

[Bob H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Henry Kissinger's only oral history, and as he is now in his 90s, this may be his final word on a number of topics. This short book is a transcript of sorts, interview format by Kissinger's longtime assistant Winston Lord and foreign policy expert K. T. McFarland. It's somewhat selective in that it only touches on some major events in his career in the Nixon/Ford administration. Nonetheless, the reader doesn't have to be a fan of Kissinger -- I'm not -- to find it of interest as a perspective on a stormy period in U.S. history. It's also valuable as a first-person, if subjective, account by a key figure of that period.

After a review of his perspectives on statesmanship and his arrival in the Nixon White House, Kissinger focuses on several major events: the opening of relations with China and the 1972 summit with Mao Zedong; the subsequent detente with Russia and the summit with Brezhnev; the 1972-73 armistice with Vietnam; the efforts to mediate the 1973 Middle East conflict. We get some insights into the effects that the Vietnam War -- coming to a climax with the 1972 offensive -- would have on the delicate negotiations with China and the USSR, and China's and Russia's effect on North Vietnam. We get some insights on Nixon's methods and objectives on national strategy, fairly useful given that Nixon, even by Kissinger's account, was a reclusive man.

Kissinger does claim that Nixon didn't interfere with the Vietnam peace effort -- that controversy to the contrary -- but that the other side had been insisting all along, as a precondition for peace talks, that the U.S. withdraw and that it remove the Saigon government. In his telling, the breakthrough in the 1972 talks came with the other side relented on the second point and discuss withdrawal as part of the peace accord. For whatever it's worth, it's the version he wanted to put in the historical record.

We get some personal testimony, notably his evaluations of Nixon and Zhou Enlai, and a few anecdotes, such as Brezhnev's taking Nixon off alone to Brezhnev's dacha during the Moscow talks, to the chagrin of Nixon's security and entourage. We get a point-by-point account of the trips and sub rosa talks toward the China summit. He also talks about the worry, at the time, that Nixon and Kissinger had from 1969-1972 about a possible Soviet attack on China, apparently enough to motivate them to prepare the two summits.

In all, an interesting if subjective contribution to history, by a major player in those times.

(Reviewed in advance-reading copy from Amazon Vine).

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a gem.

Henry Kissinger is one of the most influential individual on our current world scene. As a National Security Advisor he negotiated some of the most brilliant diplomatic initiatives of our time. The Paris Peace Accords, opening China, Strategic Arms, Middle Eastern Peace, and etc. The list goes on and on. The mind of Kissinger is truly magnificent. I am fortunate to have read this book and others that Kissinger wrote himself.

This book offers a clear insight into the mind of Kissinger since it takes the them of a question and answer scenario. Kissinger clearly states the underlying motives of how and why the Nixon and Kissinger team approached diplomacy the way they did. Kissinger answered each question with the scenario, the reasons of their actions, and the resulting outcomes. I have never read a book like this one before, so I find myself pleasantly surprised at how effective this format was.

I also was surprised at how they linked grand strategy to diplomacy. I am not so sure our Presidents, SecStates, SecDefs, and NSA's have been able to do effectively link diplomacy and grand strategy over the past two decades. For one individual to be able to achieve what he did over such a short period of time is truly remarkable. Will we ever have another Henry Kissinger?

Again, this one is a gem. Pick up a copy and read about one of our greatest statesman.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 4 out of 5]

gives a insight into the world he created during a time of political unrest. Kissinger has an amazing understand of history and how the world painted him in history books.

The book is written as though it is a interview with topics and questions he answers and reflect on.

Henry Kissinger is a man of man talents and at the time he was able to use those abilities to create and direct a world or guide the world as he saw it needed to be.

Winston Lord was very open and honest at the beginning of the book allow readers to know what he went though interview the 90 + year old the great Henry Kissinger. This is a simple short oral report on the history of the many events Kissinger to part in.

Thank you to the Publisher All Point Books and Netgalley for the advance copy of Henry Kissinger Kissinger n Kissinger

[John DeRosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stark similarities between the described approach to Vietnam and what has unfolded in Afghanistan is concerning

[Charlsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was an adolescent when the events discussed in this book occurred. I remember that all of these things were happening, but I could not understand the significance of them at the time. Kissinger on Kissinger has helped me to better understand not only what was happening in the world, but why these agreements that he and President Nixon accomplished were so important for the peace and economy of the world not only then but for today as well. I didn’t realize to what extent the negotiations with China and the Soviet Union were intertwined until I read this series of interviews. Nor did I understand the links to which the US went in there if it’s to establish negotiations with the China that was then completely isolated from the rest of the world in terms of economy and foreign policy. It also gave me insight as to how much the way in which we now approach foreign policy has changed. I found this book fascinating from the first word to the last.
Thank you to Net Galley and All Points Books one advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Terry Feix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evan at age 94, Henry Kissinger has an unparalleled grasp on the historic forces shaping the world.

[Crystal Toller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from St.. Martin's Press in return for an honest review through NetGalley.com.

This book is based on oral interviews with Henry Kissinger by Winston Lord and K. T. McFarland in conjunction with the Nixon Legacy Forum at the Nixon Presidential Library. The chapters are done by topic like Opening to China, Russia, Vietnam, Middle East, etc.. Mr. Kissinger's explanation of his and President Nixon's way of working on foreign policy were very interesting. The Nixon Administration opening to China really influenced foreign policy for all future Presidents. I greatly admired Mr. Lord and Mr. McFarland's honesty in the beginning of the book admitting that Mr. Kissinger sometimes got testy with his colleagues. I only found one error in the book in the wrong word being used.in the first question in chapter Eleven. A really enjoyable, informative book with some new information presented that I was not aware of before reading this book. I now want to see the actual video interviews after reading this book.

I would like to thank Sara Beth at St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Ali Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a written form of interviews of Henry Kissinger in which he talked about a variety of topics e.g., diplomacy, strategy, leadership, history and politics. Its language is simple and lucid and there is no difficulty to understand the book. However, this book can only be beneficial for the people who love reading about politics and international relations as well as for those who have at least a little bit of knowledge of these subjects.

[Owen Critchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a very interesting insight to the processes and methods of the Kissinger period of American Diplomacy. It offers a human perspective to some landmark events of Cold War foreign affairs through the eyes of one of the most influential figures in American Foreign Policy and is also entertaining and concise.

[Kači · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obsahově je kniha super, Kissinger v rozhovorech popisuje kontext 70. let, vztahy se SSSR, Vietnamskou válku, státníky, vyjednávání té doby.

Často se ale některé informace opakují a navíc je z předmluvy jasné, že na knize pracovali Winston Lord a K.T. McFarlandová. Proč je tedy uveden jako autor pouze Lord, když například rozhovory vede McFarlandová a o Winstonovi se v textu mluví ve třetí osobě? Navíc když v rozhovoru mluví tři lidé, není uvedeno, kdo právě mluví, takže je z toho prostě guláš :))))

[Jordan Klavans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read which centers on foreign policy strategy and negotiations. Through interview questions, this is a neat window into Kissinger’s and Nixon’s thinking related to China, Vietnam, the Soviet Union, and Middle East.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mildly interesting as a primary source, but mostly revealing of a man who died with absolutely no qualms over his atrocities, who saw every failure as someone else’s fault and every achievement as an expression of his friends’ or his own genius.

[John Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up with the assumption that Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was evil, it’s amazing I enjoyed this book so much. Of course, I’ve learned a lot during that time and nearly accidently read his book, On China. That was an amazing book explaining China’s history and his role in opening up China’s economy to the world. This book is better, although shorter and different. This book must read for anyone who is curious about our country’s foreign relations no less anyone who would want to explore a career in diplomacy. It’s an admittedly non-self-critical view of his and President Nixon’s diplomatic relations that opened an avenue of diplomatic relations with China, put us on the path of resetting the cold war (that worked for decades), helped to settle down the Middle East in a major manner from war to three peace agreements with two major adversaries, and brought the Viet Nam war to an end. Kissinger is interviewed on air a number of times and those heavily edited words consume this book. It’s hard to keep in mind that the former diplomat was in his nineties when he participated in these interviews since his mind was so sharp and memory so stellar.

From the start, Nixon selecting Kissinger was surprising, at least to me. He had been an aide of Nixon’s republican adversary, Nelson Rockefeller for twelve years. Kissinger again turned down the future president even after Nixon secured the Republican nomination. The two had not worked with one another. Yet, they shared a vision of the world that brought them together. According to Kissinger, Nixon wanted to dominate international politics, make his mark and change the world. The two thought that opening a dialogue and formal relations with China would put the Soviets in check, would assure that the Soviet Union would not expand into this populated nation like they overtook Czechoslovakia.

Like today, the world – and our country – was messy. Nixon was elected after three political assassinations, Viet Nam demonstrations that shut down the Democratic Party Convention and the city where it was held, and where the Soviet Union was on the hunt for more countries to expand their geographic span while the Middle East was especially dangerous. Americans constantly worried that the Cold War might turn hot with way too many nuclear war heads pointed at one another.

This gentle book, where Kissinger is interviewed by a fellow assistant, Nixon had already passed and there are no footnotes or anyone to question Kissinger’s statements, raises so many interesting points about diplomacy, United States’ foreign policy, and behind the scenes stories about negotiations with the Russians and, especially, China. It’s shocking to think how isolated China was to the West and especially to our country when Nixon and Kissinger started their journey of developing a relationship with this huge communist country. Little is made in the book that Nixon was the unexpected leader who would take this journey, an anti-communist throughout his career, a politician who shamelessly used communist as a way to put the spotlight on himself after WWII. The book describes that the issue holding back the start of discussions was not the question of Taiwan but simply how to open up a discussion. There was absolutely no discussion, no contact, and no way for Nixon or Kissinger to have any discussion with a Chinese leader.

The approach to talk to China was almost comical. With no ambassador to try to open a discussion with the Chinese and the inward nature of the Chinese government since the Cultural Revolution, the administration used a number of unique opportunities where the key members of the Nixon crew were around Chinese government officials. They went to Charles de Gaulle’s funeral soon after their election and wanted to talk with the Chinese ambassador who attended but he was never standing alone for even a moment. They told their ambassador in Poland that they wanted to have him talk with the Chinese. He didn’t respond so they called him on the carpet – in the Oval office. This time he went to talk with the Chinese ambassador during a fashion show at the Yugoslav embassy but the Chinese representative ran away. An attempt to use the French Ambassador in Hanoi also fell short. Nixon finally took action himself – speaking to the Pakistani president who had a relationship with the Chinese. At first the Chinese said they only wanted to talk about Taiwan but slowly agreed to add to the discussion points.

It was interesting to read how the Russian threat was an incentive to the Chinese to develop a relationship with America and how Russia’s dispute with China encouraged them to also develop a relationship with our country. Due to the uncertainty, Kissinger had to take his secret trip to make sure that if his boss took the risk, it wouldn’t blow up in his face. Making it even more to talk to China for the first time in over two dozen years riskier was that Lin Biao, Mao’s long-time designated successor, had been exiled from the government. Key to the negotiations was how to recognize One China without selling out Taiwan. Our ally on the island remained an issue, resolved last but still an issue to this day. Even when they successfully negotiated an agreement, the crew was worried about the response both back home – and with their own party in Washington D.C.

Kissinger included some interesting stories about the negotiations. Communications was a real issue. Kissinger was not able to communicate back to the President or anyone in DC while in China negotiating. At one point during the negotiations with the USSR, Brezhnev whisked President Nixon away in his car to his dacha, leaving Nixon’s secret service and aides wondering what happened to him. After discussions and a long dinner, Kissinger and his counterpart were tasked with following up on discussions throughout the night to reach agreement that could be announced to the world the following day. This led to the first limitations on offensive weapons with the two superpowers. It led the framework for future SALT agreements under Reagan.

Kissinger’s ability to remember details of the negotiations was fascinating, even if not fact-checked. At one point, the Russian leaders and negotiations scolded the Americans about Viet Nam but that didn’t stop the progress; it was as if they just wanted to be able to report back that they had their fellow communist’s back without anyone moving anyone on the war. He spoke about how the Chinese negotiations are so different than the style of Americans; they view every solution as an opening of a new problem. Chinese negotiations look longer term than Americans.

Kissinger spoke of the various world leader he negotiated with, sharing stories of their approach and personality. Many of these people are already well into the history books but many were people I remember having power when I grew up. He spoke about:
 how Zhou Enlai was brilliant and had “great personal charm.” His approach changed significantly when he was sitting aside Mao.
 Mao got the audience’s attention immediately, starting many discussions with a question. He had a vast knowledge of many countries in the world. Prior to the discussions with Nixon, Mao had been ill and could only last short times in negotiations. He became increasingly frail as he took the journey to change the direction of his country. During Ford’s presidency, he even had a hard time speaking.
 Dobrynin was a top-notch professional who came prepared. Unlike many of Russian’s diplomats, he understood America. He colored in the lines.
 Gromyko was a “diplomat’s diplomat.” He stayed within the lines of the Politburo and often didn’t have full knowledge. Kissinger spoke about when he raised something about a missile and, clearly, Gromyko didn’t know anything about the subject. A Russian General gave Kissinger a tip to wait a day and the problem went away.
 Brezhnev was a chain smoker who liked to have the meetings in his office, allowing him to sign papers and do other work while the negotiators had to wait. His limited imagination didn’t permit him to move the negotiations. By the time they were making progress with the SALT negotiations, a stroke had limited the leader to only working a couple of hours at any given time.

To fully appreciate the discussion of the Viet Nam Paris Peace Accords, I would want to have another, less biased person review what was said to determine facts. Yet, the discussion about the Middle East peace agreements was a topic I knew more about and could nod my head with agreement of a job well done and still learn more. It was interesting that while Sadat was the aggressor in the war, they knew that they couldn’t resolve the issue through war. Rather, peace could only be achieved through negotiations. America played an incredible, yet delicate role having Israel’s back and assuring that their country would remain safe while backing Israel away from some actions they may otherwise take.

Throughout the book, Kissinger points out that the president and he looked for historic and strategic movement and not just “enter the fray” when there was a problem.

Part of the weakness of this rich, although short book, was that there were no other voices or any corrective views from this book that had limited views of disappointments or setbacks. Kissinger claimed that a major problem with our system moving to a more partisan one was that lawmakers didn’t stay in DC and, rather, returned to their states/districts. Kissinger didn’t talk about segmented media or huge dark money operations that totally changed our system.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it is my ear, or maybe it is Kissinger's accent and age, but for at least most of my adult life, it seems like I could have used subtitles for most of his comments. Such issues are dispensed with in these transcribed interviews. This fairly brief read is called an "oral history" as it makes up for in content what it may lack in length. For instance, from "One: Statesmanship":

But as a general proposition, by the time you know all the facts, it is too late to affect them.

This is generally about meeting Nixon and working with Nixon against Russia and towards thawing the relationship with China:

He [Nixon] had one maxim that I often cite, which is you pay the same price for doing something halfway as for doing it completely. So you might as well do it completely . It characterizes many of his decisions.

One interesting recollection:

You have to remember that this was a period of frenetic leaking.

Has that period ever ended?

Maybe this is a point where even the transcriber was confused, but Kissinger seems to refer to three significant assassinations of 1968. OK, RFK and MLK and then who was he thinking? George Lincoln Rockwell?

[I received an ARC to review this]

[LeeTravelGoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Kissinger book and it will not be my last!!! This mans brain is so amazing to me— I will call him my Diplomat Uncle 😬!!! This book hits the high points of his career but in a way that you must read his other works as well. I knew I’d be hooked— it’s a tops! 💚💚💚

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self serving but matter of fact genius

[William Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Kissinger is well known for his service as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State during the Nixon Administration. He is also a sought after expert and advisor on foreign policy. His books are read by many practitioners in international relations. This book gives the reader some insight into the mind of Dr. Kissinger. It is an analysis of the thoughts process followed by Dr. Kissinger during the Nixon Administration as he and President Nixon addressed the War in Vietnam, opening relations with China, relations with the Soviet Union, the Middle East and domestic unrest. One of the problems with American foreign policy is that it becomes reactionary very rapidly. Witness today's issue with Afghanistan! Both Dr. Kissinger and President Nixon believed that the US should have a blueprint, a strategy that guides our foreign policy. There should be a clear vision of the future. We should have an understanding of the states that we are dealing with. That means understanding their history, culture and national goals. We should act with a clear understanding of our national interest and ask questions like, what are we trying to do? What are we trying to achieve? What are we trying to prevent? What is our national interest? What is the end state? President Nixon had a motto that Dr. Kissinger repeats often. It is, "You pay the same price for doing something halfway as you do for doing it completely, so you might as well do it completely" (Lord, P. 57).
Winston Lord, the author, was an assistant to Secretary Kissinger and with him in all of his diplomatic adventures as the jacket leaf informs the reader. This book is a series of interviews with Dr. Kissinger answering questions posed to him by Lord and K. T. McFarland. They cover diplomacy, grand strategy and leadership. I find it interesting that Dr. Kissinger believes that the key quality of leadership is character. As he points out, you can buy intelligence but you cannot buy character! I find it interesting because President Nixon proved he was of questionable character. Dr. Kissinger's observations of the primary characters he dealt with is informative as is his understanding of their history, culture and goals. The most meaningful chapter for me was on strategy, the last chapter of the book. As the author says, the lack of an overall strategy makes one a prisoner of events. Dr. Kissinger and President Nixon proceeded from a mutual understanding of the end result and America's national interest. This is a good read for those interested in international relations, and foreign policy.

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Kissinger has a reputation as a genius, evil genius, or just plain evil. What a person knows about Kissinger is very much determined by who tells the story. Kissinger is no doubt a sophisticated thinker and a different type of thinker. I a world that seems to like reaction rather than a planned path, Kissinger is out of place. Kissinger is a strategic thinker that looked at the end goal and played the long game and idealized Westphalia. Mistakes along the way would be forgotten once the goal was reached. Things like the "menu bombing" of North Vietnam would be forgotten once Vietnam was a successful democracy. Today we seem to jump into war or foreign policy that is very limited in scope. We think "exit strategy," but Kissinger looks at the end goal.

Kissinger is treated in much the same way as Machiavelli is, which is to say a shallow look and a handful of quotes. Both have a tarnished image, but if one is to read their actual words in context that view changes. In this book, an oral history, Kissinger is given some broad questions by longtime colleague Winston Lord. This format allowed Kissinger to be at ease and have a nonconfrontational format. This enables Kissinger to let his guard down and speak freely. Some may think of this as very softball, but the idea is not dueling or argument but for Kissinger to give his view of history.

Kissinger, now in his nineties, still has a firm grasp of the history he was involved in and help form.  Vietnam, arms control, the Middle East, and opening with China are all recalled in this history.  The world was a very different place in the late 1960s and 1970s, and Kissinger was involved in many of the far-reaching policies that helped change the world and some that are still ongoing struggles. Kissinger on Kissinger presents history through the eyes of one who helped shaped the world.  Kissinger is coherent and detailed in his accounts in the Nixon and Ford Administration, and although he seems truthful and a bit idealistic, many will still remain divided on the man who, over forty years ago, help shape what is the modern world

[Richard de Villiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 5 star rating needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I confess to being fascinated by Kissinger's thinking. In addition it is more or less graded on a curve - in that it is excellent in what it is - a transcript of series of interviews with Winston Lord and KT McFarland for an oral history project on the Nixon administration. This brings me to my only quibble - the title. Yes it is in fact "Kissinger on Kissinger" but about 90% is Kissinger on Kissinger about his time in the Nixon administration. I don't mean to knock the book because of it, if anything, it makes it much more interesting. While Kissinger has covered much of this ground before this effort gives a concise and remarkably articulate (considering his advanced age) of the goings on of the Nixon foreign policy shop. Well on the shop Kissinger handled, which is really all that mattered. What really is impressive of this work is how easily it flows from chapter to chapter. All the highlights are hit Vietnam, China, Detente, Middle East, relationship with his boss. While much has been said about Kissinger and his ego, he is quick to credit Nixon as the person who drove everything - after all he was the President. This a great book to dip into the mind of Kissinger and get his perspective of what transpired during his time with Nixon. There are insights on leadership and foreign policy but the juicy parts are his recollections of decisions made almost 50 years ago. Recollections that are delivered succinctly and with clarity.

[Sabu Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always considered Henry Kissinger a monster and a war criminal. Christopher Hitchens has even written a book (The Trial of Henry Kissinger) detailing his crimes against humanity. In Kissinger on Kissinger, the man is interviewed by Winston Lord, known as Kissinger’s Kissinger. This short book (147 pages) is a series of interviews that covers the US outreach to China, the peace process that followed the Yom Kippur war and interactions with the Russian government. To be fair, Kissinger comes across as knowledgeable, well informed and full of good intentions; the man even has a sense of humour. What then of the crimes he’s been accused of? Perhaps when a foreign policy egghead makes policy decisions sitting afar from the actual theatre of war, the tens of thousands of people affected by his moves appear as mere chess pieces to him.

[Shreya Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nifty little book comprising transcripts of a conversation between Henry Kissinger and the authors.

The book on one hand is to elucidate the foreign policy thinking and actions of the Nixon-Kissinger era (broadly '69 to '74) but on another level is a masterclass on strategic design, negotiation, and stakeholder management when played at very high stakes.

Well our stakes are not theirs, fates of nations and nuclear wars don't hand in the balance, but for us they are important enough.

I would recommend this book to all folks whose jobs entail interacting with partners, in particular those who are adversorial, and who seek to find solutions that are stable, positive and mutually beneficial.

It's only 130 pages :)

[Ryan Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from St. Martin's Press in return for an honest review through NetGalley.com.

I've always been fascinated by Kissinger and his impact on geo-politics. I really appreciated that this book was 1) Transparent about some of Kissenger's flaws (getting testy with colleagues) and that it tried to be fair and accurate even when based heavily on interviews with Kissinger.

Getting insights directly from those oral interviews really helps provide better context on Kissinger, his actions, and thought processes.

[Vladimiro Sousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na interesting personal view of a key player in American and world history in the 60-70. We cand see how Kissinger was a master at diplomatic affairs. Like the fact that is not intended to be an exhaustive and completed narration of the events. It is a first draft at history tell from a personal perspective, of some one that lived the events and participated actively of the times and with the persons that made the 20th century.

[Paul Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transcript of interviews with a 90+ but still very much alert and thoughtful Kissinger on the key issues of his time w/Nixon - Vietnam, China, USSR, the Middle East. Refreshing for the incisiveness of the thinking and focus on the long-term outcome. Demonstrates a thoughtfulness and maturity that's been devoid from US Foreign Policy for at least a decade.

[Ed Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interview style retrospective by Winston Lord and Henry Kissinger on his years as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State for Nixon and Ford. You get insights into the opening of China, arms talks with the USSR and the negotiations to end the wars in Vietnam and the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. An interesting read for the politically curious or historians looking for material on the topic.

[Stephen J. Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Putting the facts on the table

For years it is been too simple to believe that anything that President Nixon touched was tainted. Henry Kissinger, his partner in redrawing American diplomatic relations, describes the philosophy in redrawing the world map. It is a concise but excellent work describing the process.

[Elizabeth StClair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. It was nice getting to see Nixon in a positive light. While I had previously been aware of his positive impact in diplomacy, I never knew to what level he and Kissinger went to ensure a much different foreign strategy was implemented.

[Jana Koblížková · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rozhodně zajímavá knížka, plná rozhovorů o zahraniční politice s Henrym Kissingrem. Dozvěděla jsem se spoustu o historii vztahů USA se zbytkem světa a s jeho názory na diplomacii. Čtenářsky to je dost přístupné, takže rozhodně můžu doporučit těm, které to zajímá

[Ouadou Cine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice Book

[Edd Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

You should know Kissinger was a man of diplomacy. This would be good for anyone who wants to read about his relationship with Nixon.