Diplomacy (Touchstone Book)

If I could give Kissinger's Diplomacy 10 stars, I certainly would. This book is extremely well written. I was amazed at how well Henry Kissinger explained 300 years of Western history and diplomacy. Because the book is so well written, I would recommend it to folks interested in history, political science, international relations, or for just interesting reading of a good book. I found the early chapter on Woodrow Wilson's approach to American exceptionalism, which included our native idealism, collaborative successes, and mutual security and multilateral action in international affairs to be very insightful and Kissinger returns to these concepts again and again in his analysis of statescraft. Likewise in this early chapter he contrasts Wilson to Theodore Roosevelt's philosophy of action only with clear national interests in mind, a world of realpolitik. He also explains balance of power approaches and adequately demonstrated the barriers, benefits, consequences, and downside of each of these approaches. After reading this 800 page book, I am ready to sit down and start reading again. It is really that good. There are numerous highlights but I will share a few with you. His chapter on Richelieu and Louis XIV demonstrated how Richelieu created the first modern state to emerge from the Middle Ages. Richelieu acted to consolidate power for the French king which ran counter to the mind set of the Middle Ages. Unfortunatley, as Kissinger demonstrates, Louis XIV squanders this power with needless wars, for which his relative Louis XVI paid the ultimate price. One section of the book, regarding the Concert of Europe after the fall of Napoleon, reveals statescraft at the heights. Metternich and Talleyrand helped create a peace that lasted over 100 years based on realistic balance of power and alliances based on common values. The development of the German state under the power of Bismark compared to the downfall of France under Napoleon III was very interesting. Unfortunately the power of the new German state was misused in World War I. The sections on World War I demonstrated the pattern by which military decisions and preparedness outweigh and preceed correcting diplomacy. In this section Kissinger and Tuchman offer a common view of the origins of World War I. Kissinger and Tuchman however diverge when it comes to Vietnam. Tuckman's short crisp summary of the tragedy of Vietnam in her book The March of Folley is a very good summary, but Kissinger's chapters on Vietnam in Diplomacy certainly put meat on the bones of fact. Finally Kissinger's analysis of his years working with Richard Nixon were real eye-openers. Richard Nixon undoubtedly had considerable gifts in the area of foreign policy which makes the tragedy of Watergate even more sad. I just do not think anyone with half a brain would be dissatisfied with this excellent book.

This book provides an excellent introduction into Western foreign relations. Kissinger's writing style is very easy to follow and is not dense or overly academic. I highly recommend it for any student in an introductory international relations course or anyone interested in the history of Euro-American foreign policy. Kissinger starts with the formation of the modern European state system during the 17th century. He uses Cardinal Richelieu, France's First Minister, as the frame to explain the foreign relations of the period. The author uses the pattern of analyzing foreign relations through leaders throughout the book. While this may seem too simplistic, which it is at times, it is effective. Considering the book is 700-plus pages already, the book would have to be longer to account for absolutely every factor in a particular period's foreign relations. I was surprised at how little Kissinger interjected his own (direct) thoughts into some of the chapters. I didn't think this was a flaw overall, just a surprise. However, Kissinger is able to blend history with astute foreign policy analysis that only he could bring as a prime mover of American international relations. As a WWII buff, I also liked how the author devoted a chapter to Soviet-German relations as well as relations among the European powers in the inter-war period. I was surprised to learn that at one time in the late 1920s Italy was allied with Britain and France to help contain Germany. The book contains numerous other anecdotes and passages that are left out of other books or classes that help explain the reasons behind certain historical situations. In closing, a fascinating read with great analysis for the student or anyone interested in foreign policy. The lengthy book must simplify certain aspects, but the author includes an extensive bibliography for further reading or research. Overall an excellent read.

El autor es garantìa de buenas reseñas internacionales, creo que es una buena traducción, tiene varias fotos y está lleno de diversidad de temas culturales.

Hersey den çok memnunum

確か１９９６年にこの本の日本語訳（日経新聞、岡崎久彦監訳）が出版され、読んだのだが、何となく釈然としない箇所があった。今年になって、原書を読むことにしたが、さすがに難しい。しかし、釈然としない箇所が辞書を引きながら原書を読むことで、わかったような気になった。内容は、１６４８年のウエストファリア条約から１９９１年の第１次湾岸戦争まで（＝冷戦終了＋ソ連崩壊）である。遺作となったＬＥＡＤＥＲＳＨＩＰで明確にされているが、キッシンジャーは第１次・第２次世界大戦を「第２次３０年戦争」として一体として捉えていることに留意しながら読むと理解が深まると思う。第２章のアメリカの外交の特性は、現代でも当てはまる（キッシンジャーはこの特性の修正が必要と論じている）ので、ここだけでも読む価値はある。

Kissinger est brillant dans son analyse d'une situation internationale très complexe qu'il décortique au fil du temps dans une rare vision globale. Je conseille vivement. Je l'ai lu en anglais, j'espère que la traduction est à la hauteur

Simply great, scholarly. It is not for the average reader who looks for a newspaper-level writing. It is for the serious reader who can enjoy high quality writing.