The book also includes kissinger s early evaluation of the vietnam war and his efforts to negotiate with the north vietnamese in paris. Niall ferguson probably has written the best biography on kissinger out there, showing the episodes. Many think the retired diplomats closeness to one manrichard nixonwas the source of his power. The idealist shifts the trajectory of kissinger studies fundamentally. The secret to henry kissingers success politico magazine. Ferguson is interviewed by carla anne robbins, council on foreign relations adjunct senior fellow. Indeed it could be said that kissinger comes alive through this epic biography. A biography volume 2 unabridged by ferguson, niall isbn. Adam nadel the book illustrates just what an extraordinary human being kissinger is.
Always thorough, often surprising, at times deeply moving, this is an extraordinary biography of the most significant scholarstatesmanstrategist of our time, by one of our most. Harvard professor, hedgefund millionaire, and court historian for the imperial american hard right niall ferguson is leaving his wife for a feminist filmmaker he met at the time 100 party. He is also a senior fellow at the hoover institution, stanford university, and a. He is the author of paper and iron, the house of rothschild, the pity of war, the cash nexus, empire, colossus, the war of the world, the ascent of money, high financier, civilization, the great degeneration, kissinger, 19231968. Niall fergusons networld niall fergusons networld pbs. Previously, he was a professor at harvard university and new york university, was also a senior research fellow at jesus college, oxford, and a visiting professor at the new college of the humanities ferguson writes and speaks about. He spent his early adolescence under the third reich.
Courted by kissinger to write this biography 10 years ago it was written at his suggestion, hoover institution senior research fellow ferguson history, harvard univ. Niall fergusons dishonest biography of henry kissinger. For big, bold and compelling, it is impossible to ignore kissinger 1923 1968. Roberts writes unlike the revisionists, ferguson has had access to every part of kissingers vast archive at the library of congress, which weighs several tons and comprises 8,380 documents covering 37,645 pages on the digitized database alone. Threepart documentary series niall fergusons networld, premiering march 17 on pbs, provides unique insights from history into the viral spread of ideas and how social medias technology is a. Niall ferguson already has many important, scholarly and controversial books to his credit.
Tisch professor of history at harvard university and current senior fellow at the center for european studies at harvard university, a visiting professor at tsinghua university, beijing, and founder and managing director of advisory firm greenmantle llc. Internationally renowned harvard historian niall ferguson came to the intelligence squared stage to discuss his new appraisal. Historian niall ferguson discusses his book kissinger. Secretary of state when an accomplished historian writes about one of the worlds great diplomats, the results. Ferguson is interviewed by carla anne robbins, adjunct senior fellow at the. While ferguson doesnt explicitly refer to the streetlight effect in his new book, the square and the tower. A strange new phenomenon seems to have struck him and his media chums.
In his book, professor ferguson argues that henry kissingers approach to foreign policy was grounded in. Exhaustive account of the first half of kissingers life as a tale of an education through experience. Here is how kissinger himself describes this 1980s word order. But if the second volume of kissinger is anywhere near as comprehensive, well written and riveting as the first, this will be his masterpiece. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The idealist which looks at the early life of henry kissinger. The secret to henry kissingers success many think the retired diplomats closeness to one manrichard nixonwas the source of his power. Henry kissinger, niall ferguson, david daokui li, fareed zakaria. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Therefore one cannot say ferguson whitewashed kissinger and makes fergusons praise all the more creditable. Hed like us to believe that kissinger was a kind of tormented idealist who believed in. I am offering this note to margaret sullivans blog post in. A search query can be a title of the book, a name of the author, isbn or anything else.
Drawing not only on kissingers hitherto closed private papers but also on documents from more than 100 archives around the world, this biography is niall fergusons masterpiece. In this remarkable new book, the first of two volumes, niall ferguson has created an extraordinary panorama of kissingers world, and a paradigmshifting reappraisal of the man. The west and the rest, bestselling author niall ferguson argues that, beginning in the fifteenth century, the west developed six powerful new concepts that the rest lacked. Henry kissinger is one of the most controversial statesmen in american history. Professor niall ferguson talked about his book, kissinger. Schumpeter warned that socialism might ultimately prevail. Niall ferguson has written what i feel must become a classic for all those in search of the essence of a great statesman whose works, policies and actions have affected all our lives.
Like his classic twovolume history the house of rothschild, kissinger sheds dazzling new light on an entire era. Niall ferguson is one of the worlds most renowned historians. To hear the likes of niall ferguson, he is part of an endangered species. Working as a weekly columnist in sunday times in london, niall ferguson has become a highly prolific author and voice among his many peers and contemporaries. Historian niall ferguson discusses his book kissinger, in which he looks at the early life of henry kissinger. Some regard him as the countrys greatest strategic foreign relations thinker, while others describe him as conspiratorial or as a. Niall ferguson is a senior fellow at the hoover institution at stanford university, former laurence a. Always thorough, often surprising, at times deeply moving, this is an extraordinary biography of the most significant scholarstatesmanstrategist of our time, by one of our most accomplished historians.
As brzezinski argued in his book between two ages, the new global city being created by the technetronic age was a nervous, agitated, tense, and fragmented web of interdependent relations. Networks and power, from the freemasons to facebook, this in fact is. The way niall ferguson explains kissingers rise to national security adviser while imparting the important political circumstances that shaped history is engrossing and enlightening and as usual brilliantly narrated by roy mcmillan. He is also a senior fellow at the hoover institution, stanford university, and a senior research fellow at jesus college, oxford. Niall ferguson on kissingers world order part two by thomas riggins. He is the author of paper and iron, the house of rothschild, the pity of war, the cash nexus, empire, colossus, the war of the world, the ascent of money, high financier, civilization, the great degeneration, kissinger, 1923 1968. Dika ojiakor niall ferguson in a recent interview explained that hes just begun working on the next volume, and estimated the release date to be in about three years time.
I grew rather fond of him by reading his correspondence with kissinger and his diaries, so. Brexit, populism and kissinger with niall ferguson. Producing work as both a historian and a biographer, he has also published a number of biographies on figures such as henry kissinger and siegmund warburg. The secret to henry kissingers success niall ferguson. Niall ferguson, milbank family senior fellow, hoover institution. Niall ferguson wants us to reject the stereotyped image of henry kissinger as a cynical, amoral realist. Mr ferguson, a british historian also at harvard, has in the past sometimes produced work that is rushed and uneven.
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