Welcome to the website for Henry Kissinger: Pragmatic Statesman in Hostile Times
Almost no Secretary of State or National Security Advisor in recent American history is as well-known as Henry Kissinger, who served presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. An iconic statesman, Kissinger helped wrest foreign policy making from an established bureaucracy and was the architect of U.S. foreign policy in some of the most critical years of the 20th century. Kissinger negotiated an end to the Vietnam war, and engineered a dramatic opening to China for Nixon. His efforts in the Middle East helped resolve the aftermath of a major war between Israel and several Arab nations. He was also embroiled in the politics of several Latin American nations seeking to control the spread of communism for which he has been the subject of considerable criticism. Kissinger was a proponent of realpolitik which looked to promote American interests in specific international situations. He began life as a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, serving in World War II as an intelligence officer, and returning to the U.S. for studies and an academic career at Harvard. Also working for NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller, he was invited to join the incoming Nixon administration in 1969 and continued his government service through 1977. Kissinger is not without strong critics, who continue to blame him for events such as U.S. bombing in Cambodia, overthrow of the governments in Chile and other events. Kissinger’s legacy is both pervasive and contested, with supporters and detractors often divided along partisan lines, although Kissinger’s own actions did not always conform to partisan choices.
In a fresh and insightful narrative, Abraham R. Wagner rejects much of the mythology that continues to surround Kissinger, and as one who knew and worked with him during the critical years has produced a comprehensive portrait of Kissinger in his historical context. Supported by primary sources and a robust companion website, this concise biography is an ideal introduction to this fascinating statesman and the issues confronting America in the late 20th century.
This companion website supports the book with an array of additional primary documents, images, a further reading list, and links to video and other online resources.
Book Information Complimentary Exam Copy