Product Description
A biography of the celebrated and controversial Secretary of State whose diplomatic missions have brought hope of peace to many parts of the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kissinger by Kalb
Dr. Kissinger stands as a premier Secretary of State in the
previous century. The work begins with his early years at Harvard; wherein, he was denied tenure initially. Dr. Kissinger
worked for 4 Administrations. He argued very strenuously with
the Vietnamese, Chinese and the Soviets. After a short period
in government, he emerged as an interesting diplomatic figure.
He quickly rose to be Secretary of State, although he was
anti-Nixon originally. The former President sought to hire him
immediately and to bring him to the center of power as soon as
possible. The Kissinger diplomacy required high intellect,
strategy and patience in its implementation. His performance
was a virtuoso balancing act. Occasionally, he would sacrifice
form in order to gain substance in a negotiation. Initially,
Harvard denied him tenure because they believed that he had
greater designs in the area of government service. By late 1957,
Dr. Kissinger returned to Harvard to secure a tenured position.
The Kissinger technique was to pose a "spectrum of possibilities"
in order to confound the Soviets in the foreign policy arena.
His approach to the NSC was to combind the best of the departments of State and Defense. The Secretary disliked too
many small details in favor of studying the "big picture".
Conceptually, he envisioned strategies more in the Kennedy
style than the Eisenhower paper trail. Dr. Kissinger concerned
himself with the important details of "verification" in the
SALT treaties. He found in President Nixon- a willingness to
accept re-unification of Vietnam in exchange for a verifiable
peace. In the later part of 1971, he visited Peking to pave the
way for a visit by President Nixon in May of 1972. The famous
visit accomplished a normalization of relations with China.By
January of 1974, Dr. Kissinger bartered a disengagement of
Egyptian and Israeli forces from the Suez Canal. He continued
to influence public policy long after his tenure as the
Secretary of State. This work attests to a solid career in
public service with many diplomatic achievements and honoraria
to attest to his many accomplishments. ... Read more

Product Description
The African Foreign Policy of Secretary of State Henry Kissinger outlines in clear, comprehensive terms the details of Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's foreign policy toward Africa and how that policy related to other aspects of his global viewpoint. This book presents an intellectual evaluation of governmental sources to determine the kinds of foreign policy proposals and programs that Kissinger developed for the various crises and problems which were under way in Africa. ... Read more

Product Description
In this first volume of his memoirs, Dr Kissinger covers his first four years (1969-1973) as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs - and President Nixon's closest adviser on foreign policy. It is undoubtedly the most significant book to come out of the Nixon Administration. Among the countless great and critical moments Dr Kissinger recalls are his first meeting with Nixon, his secret trip to China, the first SALT negotiation, the Jordan crisis of 1970, the India-Pakistan war of 1971, and the historic summit meetings in Peking and Moscow. He covers the major controversies over Indochina policy during that period, including events in Laos, the overthrow of Cambodia's Prince Sihanouk, his secret talks with the North Vietnamese in Paris, his 'Peace is at hand' press conference, and the breakdown of the talks that led to the 'Christmas bombing' of 1972. He offers his insight s into the Middle East conflicts, Sadat's break with the Soviets, the election of Salvador Allende in Chile, issues of defence strategy, and relations with Europe and Japan.Other highlights are his relationship with Nixon, brilliant portraits of major foreign leaders, and his views as to the handling of crises and the art of diplomacy.Few men have wielded as much influence in the arena of American foreign policy as Henry Kissinger. This record makes an invaluable and lasting contribution to the history of this crucial time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

.. an avalanche of publicity followed his appointment..

Kissinger is a German-born origin, now American Politician. There were countless attacks from left, right and center on the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Perhaps his German background prompted a writer in the ""Nation"" to draw a resemblance between Kissinger and Joachim von Ribbentrop, the Nazi foreign minister. (Couldn't they ever forget?)
In his memoirs, Kissinger alludes to the years he served as National Security adviser and one can fathom a touch of boasting on how much,in the eyes of many observers, his initiatives and allure was the main rescuing feature of an otherwise disastrous administration (Watergate!!).

His appointment as Secretary of State aroused not only favorable editorials; there was a great deal of unfriendly comments as well. Some reflected envy and grudging ill-will; there must have been many political gurus firmly convinced that they would have been able to do as good, and even a much effective, job than Kissinger.

During his time in the Nixon and Ford administrations he cut a showy personality like brightly colored movie stars, appearing at social occasions with many celebrities and in his pictures he appeared very much in joy at such gatherings; at times his name was transfused to "'Henry the Kiss"" something like a sex reference, didn't he say "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac?"" Very few photos show him frowning; otherwise his face has always been smiley. His foreign policy record made him the feared goddess of vengeance to the anti-war groups as well as to the anti-communists.

His memoirs portrays him as the devout advocate of ""Realpolitik"", and tell us how far the man played a dominant role in USA foreign policies between 1969 and 1977. In less than ten years, he `taught' the world the policy of `'détente" that led to a significant relaxation in U.S.-Soviet tensions and played a crucial role in 1971 talks with China's Premier Zhou Enlai that concluded with a rapprochement between the two countries (tennis games) and the formation of a new strategic anti-Soviet Sino-American alliance.

His help and energy to put an end to the fighting in Vietnam rewarded him the Nobel Peace Prize (1973). But the subsequent events failed him dearly when a ceasefire in Vietnam could not remain durable.

Kissinger preferredthe maintenance of friendly diplomatic relationships with anti-Communist military dictatorships in many places in Latin America, however heapproved of half-hidden intervention in Chilean politics. Such disguised approach caused him the accusation of encouraging and taking part in the atrocities committed by the Argentine military junta.

Looking at his accomplishment, one cannot but associate his name (and indeed his personality) mainly with:
Détente and the opening to China
Vietnam and Cambodia
1971 Indo-Pakistan War

Unfortunately his memoirs run short of two main events:
1973 Yom Kippur War
1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus

Kissinger was never connected with the Watergate scandal which eventually ruined Nixon and many of his close associates. The media labeled Kissinger as the ""clean man"" of the "Bunch""

I wonder why he did not mention in these memoirs the notion that prevailed for a short period of ending the requirement that a U.S. president be born in America. Some examined the possibility of amending the U.S. Constitution so that Kissinger could have a chance to run for President of the United States of America.

Perhaps what's missing for us in the Middle East is the 1973 Yum Kippur War. The memoirs, unfortunately, ended on the borders of 1973. From page 1290 until the end of the chapter we figure some secret channels between Sadat and Kissinger, we do not know how far such talks have led to the 1973 War. Was the war really surprising? Kissinger negotiated the end to the war, which had begun with a massive and, a so called, surprise attack against Israel by Egyptian and Syrian regular armies. According to Kissinger, if Israel had begun the war, they would not have received "so much as a nail" in aid from the United States.But since the Arabs started it all, the U.S military performed the largest military airlift in history, that led to the 1973 OPEC embargo against the United States and its Western European allies, which was lifted in March 1974.

When Israel recovered back most of the lands they lost during the initial stage of the `'surprise'' attack, the Israeli Army mounted a counter attack and regained some more territories. In this debacle Kissinger became the actual movie Star in this part of the world. USA, with the nickname: Uncle Sam became Uncle Henry (or Dear Henry).
Kissinger was able to pressure Israel to cede some of the newly captured land back to the Arabs, contributing to the first phases of lasting Israeli-Egyptian peace. The move saw a warming in U.S.-Egyptian relations, bitter since the 1950s, as the country moved away from its former pro-Soviet stance and into a close partnership with the United States.

Can we ever get the whole truth from the memoirs of shrewd politicians in the caliber of Henry Kissinger? Or only time can tell!!


... Read more

Product Description
At the heart of Thornton's examination lies the assessment of how Kissinger was able to move the United States away from Nixon's traditional containment policy to "tri-lateralism" and greater dependence on coliective security organizations. Thornton also argues that Watergate was a 'set-up' by John Mitchell and members of the Eastern wing of the Republican party to compromise Nixon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Will change how you think about world affairs.
Professor Thornton leads us through the labyrinth of foreign policy decision making during the Nixon Administration and the subsequent Kissinger "Shogunate." The reader must be prepared to think *strategically*, i.e. to consider apparently isolated events in a larger, global context. In other words, Thornton challenges us to think about world affairs just like the actual players did (and do).

Caveat: this is not a right-wing conspiracy-type book. It is a serious text on recent American and world history. People looking for a sensational ride through the subterranean passages of governmental power would probably be better off elsewhere.

Thornton does suggest explanatory models that are quasi-revolutionary, e.g. that Nixon's fall was the result of a commonplace political entrapment scheme by Kissinger, which led directly to (among other events) the fall of South Vietnam. Does that morsel sound tempting to you? The book is full of them. (I especially love Dr. Thornton's description of Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy - look up Liddy's name in the index to find the passage.)

Dr. Thornton is a Professor at George Washington University's School of International Affairs. He is an expert on China and its history (and he speaks several Chinese dialects). He is the "real McCoy" with a pedigree that includes a career in U.S. Air Force intelligence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

A politician's life
Read Kissinger and Einstein: His Life and Universe one after the other to see how Isaacson deals with two professionally different, but similar, persons who have had great effect on the US and the world. Both left Nazi Germany to escape persecution and rose to the top of their fields. As a bonus, the two biographies challenge the reader in physics and world politics, as well as generate new interest in these fields.

Recommended book for US and A leaders and others
21st Century will be different, hopefully the US will make a big difference
Knowledge becomes Evil if the aim be not virtuous

President "David" Dwight Eisenhower, Mandate for Change, (1963)
It was generally conceded that had an election been held, Ho Chi MINH would have been elected Premier ... I have never talked or corresponded with a person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting, possibly 80 per cent of the population would have voted for the Communist Ho Chi MINH as their leader.

Nguyen Ai Quoc: It was patriotism, not communism, that inspired me. I only follow one Party: The Vietnamese Party. Ho Chi MINH

"The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end."
Leon Trotsky, Leon Trotsky was born Lev Davidovich Bronstein on November 7, 1879


What was VC? Was it a He, or may be was a She? Were they raping your little girl? Were they holding an M16 aims at your children and women? Were they stealing your money from you bank accounts? Were he and she a threat your family and nation? What was so bad being VC? No one here realized what a VC was, may be a VC has so much responsibility protecting his/her, and or the nation's identity and independence? A VC borrows an American Declaration of Independence on their behalf to win the heart of the nation and world. I am telling you that a VC has a family, a mum and dad and sibling and a job protecting like any other American patriots. Many VC were Buddhism, Catholic, Ancestor Worship, Muslim, Cao Dai, Protestant, even Anglican. To the eye of the American people VC were bad and should be killed... a VC was a Vietnamese freedom fighter for their own right to be ruled and governed by themselves and similar to the American who fought against the British for your independence.
Cally, I do not know how you can go on living for what you did, everyone here has the right to talk; some were angry and some do not have a clue, but what you really should do is looking for method to enable to forgive yourself and free from your soul. The Vietnamese are willing forgive you what has happened, but can you forgive yourself? All I know that you have the courage to keep yourself all this long deep in your heart and soul.
Have you ever read any history of Vietnam under different Dynasty; many former kings later went on to become Buddhist monks to ask for their soul to be forgiven for what they did, and even though they were the protectors of our nation from invasions and killed only the enemy.

PEACE IS THE ONLY METHOD TO FORGIVE YOU ....
Edwin Tran
[...]

Although history was not kind to Vietnam, Vietnam still wants to have a good relationship with the US.

Must Read for Office Politics
This is the first book I have reviewed among over 100 books I've bought from Amazon and read. I feel compelled to review it because it enlighted so much of what I have seen on the job: back-biting, double-dealing, credit-grabbing, conspiracy, flattery...I only wish that I have read it before I entered the workforce, so that I could have spared myself much anguish!In addition, the book sheds light on important history about Vietnam, China, etc.Be warned though: this is not a book about a great hero; it might even make you angry.But it sure will enlighten.

excellent book
This is a real tour de force which left me with a complete sense of my own utter ignorance on the subject of foreign policy and recent American history.Who knew that the Russians had wanted to do a tactical strike on the Chinese before they developed nuclear weapons?That Nixon had not wanted a cease fire before his election against McGovern? That Time magazine had developed its Man of the Year as a way of putting Lindbergh on the cover after it had failed to do when he landed in France?Etc.Etc. Virtually every chapter had a revelation practically tossed off in a casual manner.Yet there is nothing casual in the author's approach which is amazingly even handed and well researched, as well as highly readable given the exceptional complexity of the issues involved.This is a terrific and remarkably accessible book.Highly recommended.

Brilliance does notguarantee a brilliant outcome
The author provides in this seemingly complete history of Kissinger numerous interesting insights into US Foreign Policy. The most interesting one, I thought, was that if Kissinger's realpolitik policy had prevailed we might have had a second Yalta and a repressively stable Soviet Union would be here still today. But Ronald Reagan "...who saw simple truths where Kissinger saw nuances..." came along and changed history for the better by attaching a greater importance to values than to stability and order that Kissinger prized so much.
Dr. Kissinger's pessimism and belief in realpolitik prevented him from seeing that there was such a thing as the "Evil Empire" let alone imagine defeating it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

out of the box
good to read from a journalist who is not afraid of the powers that be, and can be brave in his writings.

The best account of the Nixon war policy
This account of the Nixon foreign policy is far better than Walter Isaacson's or Robert Dallek's. Hersh shows in detail how in July 1968 Nixon and Kissinger told President Thieu of South Vietnam to reject US calls to begin participating in peace talks. In doing so, they broke the US law against private citizens conducting diplomatic negotiations.

Throughout 1968, Nixon campaigned on a platform of ending the war, yet then escalated the war. Nixon and Kissinger always opposed unilateral withdrawal. They aimed to continue the US aggression against Vietnam until victory could be achieved. When they talked of an `honourable settlement', they meant one that achieved all the USA's aggressive war aims. More US soldiers would have to die so that the earlier deaths would not have been in vain, which, absurdly, equates to saving the dead.

Nixon and Kissinger cruelly indulged in sunshine talk about the war, promising the American people that one last push, one more invasion, would bring victory. But the truth was that the USA had lost. There was no alternative to withdrawal: their only choice was whether to end the war swiftly, or end it a bit later after killing yet more Vietnamese and having even more American soldiers killed pointlessly (20,000 were killed under Nixon).

Nixon and Kissinger never grasped that a quick exit from Vietnam would have helped, not undermined, US credibility. They never asked other governments what they thought about a speedy exit. Détente was just a cynical device to try to divide Vietnam from its allies, and it failed.

Nixon and Kissinger's policy towards Vietnam was a disaster, killing thousands of Americans, Vietnamese and Cambodians. They claimed that their policies were realistic and intelligent, but neither could see that the Vietnamese people were justly fighting for their national liberation. Nixon and Kissinger were not tragic, flawed heroes but despicable war criminals.

An award-winning journalist exposes dark policy
Only a handful of journalists in the nation have the credibility to write of book of this nature.To this end, Author Seymour Hersh puts his considerable reputation on the line and uses his powerful contacts in Washington to painstakingly document the shallow political and career motives of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger.

Hersh does a tremendous service to America.He single-handedly destroys the myth that Nixon and Kissinger were dedicated to the swift end of the Vietnam war.To his credit, Hersh documents the formation of Nixon's secret "Madman" policy and how the President and Kissinger employed this risky strategy to prolong the war.

"The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House," is also a serious study of how certain key cabinet members that opposed the manipulation of foreign policy were quickly isolated and discredited.Hersch interviews key individuals that Kissinger personally recruited to work at the NSC to show how significant contributions to foreign policy was wrestled from the State Department and firmly established in the White House.The early consolidation of power by Nixon and Kissinger set the pattern for a long string of dark policy.

The secret bombing of Cambodia, the crisis in Korea, the SALT talks, the Mideast, Cuba, China, the Berlin settlement are all explored in this text.However, the most damaging information to the reputation of Henry Kissinger is how his secret information to the Nixon campaign during the Johnson administrations peace talks in Paris compromised any chance of reaching an early conclusion to the war.Hersh meticulously researches how Kissinger manipulates his contacts in Paris to circumvent the practice of conflict resolution by Lyndon Johnson.Hersh also explains how Kissinger used this secret information to position himself on Nixon's short list of foreign policy advisors after the defeat of Hubert H. Humprhey in the 1968 presidential elections.

There is little flattery of the 37th President of the United States in this book.If anything Hersch displays the ruthlessness of the Nixon White House and how Henry Kissinger would sacrifice everything to implement a dark policy that cost thousands of lives.In conclusion, this book is a bitter pill for the brave young men and women who answered the nation's call in Vietnam.

A real eye-opener
We all know that Nixon was a shady character, but after reading the Price of Power, I learned so much more about our former president.

The Price of Power reveals much about the Nixon-Kissinger administration that would shock most Americans.Focusing most of its attention on the Vietnam war, this book tells how Nixon/Kissinger basically detatched themselves from the rest of the U.S. government in order to do whatever they wanted throughout the world.It seemed as though Nixon/Kissinger based every decision they made on their future political survival.Hersh does a superb job of bring to light some of the truly darkest moments in U.S. History.He also shows us how Nixon-Kissinger were able to get their policies implemented by eliminating and and all opposition.They created such a strong executive with such little oversight that their leadership resembled that of a dictatorship.

After reading this, I felt ashamed to call myself an American.We strongly supported a president who was an alcoholic racist whose paranoia dictated much of his actions.I never realized just how close we came to using nuclear weapons in Vietnam (and this AFTER Nixon campaigned with his "Peace with Honor" slogan).We are quick to point to several leaders of the 20th century and label them "war criminals."By any definition, Nixon and Kissinger should be included on this list of war criminals.Disagree with me?read Price of Power.If, after doing so, you still disagree with me, you obviously did not read very carefully . . .

critique by an expert attack dog
Hersh is great at seeking dirt, which is a public service as he uncovers so much of it.Guys like him serve a function only as long as we keep his role in perspective.He found My-Lai, yes, but does he approve of anything whatsoever?This book is a 500-page indictment of Kissinger that follows no standard other than to show that the guy was really really bad.There is little if any acknowledgment of what Kissinger accomplished, virtually no consistent standards discussed of what would have been better, and no suggestions offered.As such, it is simply over the top. ... Read more

Product Description
In this candid and sobering account, former Russian premier Yevgeny M. Primakov considers the threats posed by independent terrorist organizations to the security of the global community.

As the attacks of September 11, 2001 made clear, the course of international affairs is no longer shaped exclusively by cooperation and confrontation among nations. Stateless factions with extreme agendas—their methods enhanced by globalization and technological advances—pose serious threats to global stability.

Primakov expresses grave concern over the likelihood that independent terrorist organizations will obtain weapons of mass destruction. More than 100 nations are stockpiling nuclear material, he writes, and there is no reason to believe that all of it is well managed or protected. A terrorist group intent on developing a weapon can easily find the information and fissile material to develop a compact nuclear device.

He recommends that the global community develop a comprehensive Charter on Terrorism tofacilitate criminal prosecution of terrorism. And he urges Russia and the United States to join forces more readily to share information and intelligence about emerging terrorist threats. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A thoughtful reflection on the menacing threats
A collaborative publishing project of The Nixon Center and the Brookings Institution Press, A World Challenged: Fighting Terrorism In The Twenty-First Century is a thoughtful reflection on the menacing threats posed by independent terrorist organizations to global security. Russian premier Yevgeny M. Primakov expresses his critical concerns over such terrorist organizations obtaining weapons of mass destruction, especially when over 100 nations today are stockpiling such nuclear material. Strongly recommending that the global community develop a comprehensive Charter on Terrorism to facilitate criminal prosecution, and exhorting that Russia and the United States need to join forces and share information about emerging terrorist threats, A World Challenged is a critical and astutely written account of the dangers facing the world in the twenty-first century. ... Read more