Henry Kissinger and American Power

A Political Biography

By: Thomas A. Schwartz

Narrated by: Jamie Renell

The definitive biography of Henry Kissinger - at least for those who neither revere nor revile him.

Over the past six decades, Henry Kissinger has been America’s most consistently praised - and reviled - public figure. He was hailed as a “miracle worker” for his peacemaking in the Middle East, pursuit of détente with the Soviet Union, negotiation of an end to the Vietnam War, and secret plan to open the United States to China. He was assailed from the left and from the right for his indifference to human rights, complicity in the pointless sacrifice of American and Vietnamese lives, and reliance on deception and intrigue. Was he a brilliant master strategist - “the 20th century’s greatest 19th-century statesman” - or a cold-blooded monster who eroded America’s moral standing for the sake of self-promotion?

In this masterfully researched biography, the renowned diplomatic historian Thomas Schwartz offers an authoritative and fair-minded answer to this question. While other biographers have engaged in hagiography or demonology, Schwartz takes a measured view of his subject. He recognizes Kissinger’s successes and acknowledges that Kissinger thought seriously and with great insight about the foreign policy issues of his time, while also recognizing his failures, his penchant for backbiting, and his reliance on ingratiating and fawning praise of the president as a source of power. Throughout, Schwartz stresses Kissinger’s artful invention of himself as a celebrity diplomat and his domination of the medium of television news. He also notes Kissinger’s sensitivity to domestic and partisan politics, complicating - and undermining - the image of the far-seeing statesman who stands above the squabbles of popular strife.

Rounded and textured, and rich with new insights into key dilemmas of American power, Henry Kissinger and American Power stands as an essential guide to a man whose legacy is as complex as the last 60 years of US history itself.

©2020 Thomas A. Schwartz (P)2020 Audible, Inc.

A balanced view of a balancing act.

A worthwhile primer on one of the most consequential. Political figures of the late 20th century Madrid.

A political biography

This was a clear and thoughtful overview of Kissinger’s political career, with fascinating insights into his relationship with Nixon. The book does feel a bit distant at times, as if the author cannot quite ascertain Kissinger’s thought processes. And because this is intended to be only a “political biography,” there hardly a word spoken about Kissinger’s private life, which feels like a gaping hole in the narrative. But the book is balanced, and the author clearly strives to reserve judgement on the man, even as he acknowledges his duplicity, scheming, deception, and hubris. The way Kissinger let domestic politics drive foreign policy was especially damning, as was his involvement in Cambodia and Chile. But a rabid vilification of Kissinger has been so in vogue for decades now, that the seemingly balanced account here seems surprisingly positive in contrast. I enjoyed it and recommend it as a good single overview of Kissinger’s development, methods, and legacy in American foreign policy.

Henry Kissinger

I found this book a certainly interesting way to get perspective on the current state of affairs and international politics. This book provided a great deal of background from the 60s all the way to present on how we make decisions internationally. I highly recommend to read this book in great detail and allow yourself to have a better understanding of the current state of affairs in World politics.