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.

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

This book is an enlightening read giving reader's a glimpse into the insights and thought processes of one of the top diplomats and foreign affairs experts in our era. The author has asked insightful questions that are centered around key topics of discussion to make it a easy and enjoyable read. By reading the book, one can recognise the key learning points from each chapter. It also allows readers to glean insights into good leadership strategies and employ into their own lives or businesses. All in all it was a very enjoyable and deeply insightful read. Thank you to the interviewer and author Mr Winston Lord as well as the interviewee and speaker Dr Henry Kissinger for this wonderful book.

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

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 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.