A recent book that I reviewed over at Goodreads. Well worth your time if you are interested in this very interesting time and very complex man who elicits such broad emotions even today.

<a href="Kissinger by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading the Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs I thought this might be a good read. I was right. Isaacson gives a balanced accounting of Kissinger without delving too far into the weeds of policy. But there is enough policy to satisfy, including a fair evaluation of the Kissinger philosophy of realpolitik, and how that may have influenced him to be less than honest in explaining key foreign policy decisions to the American people. (As well as Secretary of State William Rogers.)Kissinger’s brilliance is never in doubt throughout this book, but that brilliance and ego brought an operating style that created some measure of difficulty that even Kissinger acknowledges to have been unnecessary. Some terrific anecdotes, including Kissinger “criticizing” a staff report by placing it on the floor and stomping on it. The examination of his relationship with Nixon is fascinating as well. All in all another great book by Isaacson. Of course Bismark and Metternich are next on the read list.

View all my reviews” title=”Kissinger”>I gave five stars on Goodreads