Years of Renewal

by Henry Kissinger

Book Overview

Perhaps the best-known American diplomatist of the twentieth century, Henry Kissinger is a major figure in world history, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, and arguably one of the most brilliant minds... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684855712
• ISBN13: 9780684855714
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 1152 Pages
• Weight: 3.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.5" x 6.6" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

"In The Moment of Victory, Button Your Chin Strap!"

Henry Kissinger's book, "Years of Renewal," is a complete review of U.S. foreign policy initiatives while he was Secretary of State under President Gerald R. Ford. In it, he details how they built upon the foreign policy successes of the Nixon Administration and laid the foundation for the resurgence of the American spirit seen during the Reagan Administration. From a diplomatic standpoint, this may have been America's finest hour.With the possible exception of Lincoln, no U.S. president has inherited a nation as severely divided as Gerald R. Ford. Immediately after assuming office, he faced one international crisis after another with a hostile, "McGovernite Congress," and an emasculated intelligence gathering system that made effective response to even the most extreme provocations virtually impossible. Kissinger says throughout, Ford made decisions solely on what was best for the nation, not on what was politically expedient. His reward for such selfless service: defeat in the next election.Like Kissinger's other works, this book can be read either in individual chapters or be taken as a whole. In each segment he details, what they did, what their options were, the assumptions their actions were based upon, and if unsuccessful, what their fall back plan was to be. In spite of seemingly insurmountable odds, they were able to hold the Atlantic Alliance together, strengthen our ties to the Peoples Republic of China, and keep the Soviets out of both the Middle East and Africa.The Chinese war philosopher, Sun Tsu said, "In the moment of victory, button your chin strap." History has proven the Soviets should have listened. Given our national paralysis following Vietnam/Watergate, it seemed they could not be stopped. In the international chess game--that is diplomacy at the highest levels--they were stopped through the efforts of a few, dedicated statesmen who blocked them at every turn. The fall of the Soviet Union and Communism was the ultimate result.This book is a textbook on how to conduct foreign policy. Enlightening and informative, it has inspired me to read Kissinger's other works, "White House Years," and "Years of Upheaval." I highly recommend it to any serious student of the era.

Exacting but needed to understand the world we have won by w

As always Henry Kissinger is different in all respects fromt he political animals who are and have been Secretary of State. His understanding of the power politics together with his grasp of what makes states (governments) tick insures that your insight of the world of yesterday adn today changes as you read this 1100 page tome one page at a time.Not for the generalist but for the seriously interested reader.

Brilliant and intense

Brilliant and intense. Like Churchill, Kissinger not only made history, but was able to write about it. Also like Churchill, one must filter some of what one reads through an understanding of its author. Fair enough.What the reader gets in all three volumes (and, by the way, his book, "Diplomacy") is an insight into how the post-WWII, post-Soviet world was shaped. To his credit, HAK enunciates his principles, exemplifies them in his actions, and champions them passionately both in victory and in defeat. You may not agree with him, but if you disagree, you are forced to review your assumptions about how the world should and does work. I found the sections on the fall of Vietnam particularly harrowing, as it forced me to review the beliefs I espoused during this troubled time.A lesser, but still fascinating, facet of the work is the character sketches HAK draws of various leaders. From Julius Nyrere to Gerald Ford (whose virtues are seen far to outweigh his faults), they illuminate the often-Byzantine negotiations depicted. So read it. Make up your own mind. You may be outraged, you may be frustrated. But you will not be bored.

Excellent!

Dr. Kissinger is without question the most regarded and respected Secretary of State in this century - if not in U.S. history. Any work by him I consider to be essential reading, and as such, this was a must-read for me. I have read the three installments of his memoirs, culminating in this one. I will concede to those who don't read a lot of history/current affairs books, this one seems a bit daunting. However, out of the three, this one is certainly quite "readable". It is the best-written of the three; Dr. Kissinger seems to exhibit a great deal more clarity and reflection in this work. Critics of Dr. Kissinger have complained that he is only writing because of some need to make excuses for his foreign policy "blunders" - namely, in regards to Vietnam and the USSR. I would argue emphatically that this book is not such a work. Dr. Kissinger presided over some of the most troubling and chaotic events of the century. While there occasionally is a hint of defense on his part for his actions, it is certainly not a "puff piece" designed to give him a favorable legacy. One must remember that Dr. Kissinger was by and large commended for his actions in the foreign policy arena. History already looks upon him favorably. He is not a monumental screw-up like Robert MacNamara, who is futilely trying to rewrite his legacy with book after book. These are Dr. Kissinger's memoirs, the purpose of which is to shed light and reflect on the events he witnessed and dealt with. Thus, he does not need to make apologies or absolve himself. He is merely writing a historical record of his service, a career that needs no bolstering or "revisionism". I recommend it strongly, not only to those readers of history and foreign policy, but to those of you tired of the incompetents now directing foreign policy for this country. Dr. Kissinger's work must be studied and factored into current world events, because he was the grandmaster of that domain.

magnificent achievement

Kissinger's best writing yet