In his new biography of henry kissinger, the historian niall ferguson recalls that halfway through what became an eightyear research project, he had an. President barack obama has thrown away decades of foreign policy wins in the mideast, says niall ferguson, a harvard historian and biographer of henry kissinger. Sep 29, 2015 niall ferguson is one of the worlds most renowned historians. Drawing not only on kissinger s hitherto closed private papers but also on documents from more than a hundred archives around the world, this biography is niall ferguson s masterpiece. Niall campbell ferguson is a scottishborn historian. A factfinding tour of vietnam in the mid1960s awakened the man of action inside kissinger.
University of california television uctv 80,453 views 57. The essential account of an extraordinary life, it recasts the cold war world. Noted harvard historian niall ferguson tells the first part of kissingers story in great detail in kissinger. Unlike the revisionists, ferguson has had access to every part of kissingers vast archive at the library of congress, which weighs several tons.
Ferguson gives an example of kissingers intuition it cant be demonstrated, but here it is. Why the atrocities of henry kissinger should be mandatory reading in an appearance at yale last week, the nixon officials horrific record was casually. We are a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to. Niall ferguson interviews henry kissinger at yale history. The secret to henry kissingers success politico magazine. Does the 21st century belong to china kissinger and zakaria vs. The biography begins in furth, germany, kissinger s place of birth, and describes the vibrant jewish community that existed there during the 19th and early 20th century. Kissinger, china, and world domination the new yorker. Donald trumps new world order the american interest.
Kissinger describes the coming world order as one of regional powers interacting with one another in order to find a mutually agreedupon definition of legitimacy. He seemed an exponent of realpolitik, and a machiavelli at the centre of washington public life. According to the british historian and tv presenter niall ferguson, kissinger was the preeminent cold war intellectual. He is also a senior fellow at the hoover institution, stanford university, and a senior research fellow at jesus college, oxford. Kissinger biography is great, says pal of author and. The definitive biography of henry kissinger, based on unprecedented access to his private papers. Professor niall ferguson talked about his book, kissinger. Oct 16, 2015 president barack obama has thrown away decades of foreign policy wins in the mideast, says niall ferguson, a harvard historian and biographer of henry kissinger.
Adam nadel the book illustrates just what an extraordinary human being kissinger is. But while kissingers position at the heart of twentieth century us foreign policymaking, and as advisor to every president from kennedy to obama is legendary, less well known are the life experiences that molded his character. Roberts brings an unusual level of familiarity to the subject. He is also a senior fellow at the hoover institution, stanford university, and a. Robert dallek, niall ferguson and michiko katutani. In his new biography of henry kissinger, the historian niall ferguson recalls that halfway through what. Combine careful and extensive scholarship, clear writing, and a magnificent subject and you get niall ferguson on kissinger, a genuinely educational read. Oct 15, 2015 ferguson tries to goose the narrative. For big, bold and compelling, it is impossible to ignore kissinger 1923 1968. 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.
Niall ferguson on henry kissinger, in conversation with roy eisenhardt duration. Historian niall ferguson discusses his book kissinger, in which he looks at the early life of henry kissinger. Tisch professor of history at harvard university, a senior fellow at the hoover institution, and the author of the forthcoming book kissinger, 19231968. Like his classic twovolume history of the house of rothschild, kissinger sheds dazzling new light on an entire era. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The book also explores the history of kissinger joining the kennedy administration and later becoming critical of its foreign. Kissingers sardonic reply spoke volumes about how he really regarded the situation. In his book, professor ferguson argues that henry kissingers approach to foreign policy was grounded in. His research included access to previously private papers, documents from more than 100 archives and many interviews with his subjects former colleagues. The munk debate on china the munk debates house of anansi press. Niall ferguson biography sets the stage for statesmanship national security adviser henry kissinger with president richard nixon circa 1970. China relations, kissinger traces the evolution of this fraught but crucial relationship over the past 60 years, following its dramatic course from estrangement to strategic partnership to economic interdependence, and toward an uncertain future.
Niall ferguson, milbank family senior fellow, hoover institution. In his view, far from being the amoral archrealist portrayed by his enemies, kissinger owed a profound debt to philosophical idealism. United states and china could merge their efforts not to change the. Mcdougall is chair of the foreign policy research institutes board of advisors, chair of fpris center for the study of america and the west, and cochair of fpris. The book also explores the history of kissinger joining the kennedy administration and later becoming critical of its foreign policy, to supporting nelson. The speakers were henry kissinger, fareed zakaria, niall ferguson, and david daokui li, and the audience was asked to vote, before and after, on the resolution that the twentyfirst century. Niall ferguson wants us to reject the stereotyped image of henry kissinger as a cynical, amoral realist. The all souls historian rohan butler concluded the first volume of his biography.
Hed like us to believe that kissinger was a kind of tormented idealist who believed in. Ferguson is a provocative historian, but he is sometimes a shady numbers man and always a sunny militarist. 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. It was roberts whom kissinger first asked, before turning to ferguson, to write his authorized biography. Henry kissinger is one of the most important strategic thinkers america has ever produced, according to harvard historian niall ferguson. I am a fully paidup member of the neoimperialist gang, he declared some years ago. Niall ferguson is a senior fellow at the hoover institution at stanford university, former laurence a. Drawing not only on kissinger s hitherto closed private papers but also on documents from more than a hundred archives around the world, ferguson argues that the true foundation of kissinger s. The idealist, the first of a projected twovolume biography. What i am not so sure about is whether they can organize simple things. 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. The definitive biography of henry kissinger kissinger believed deeply in the moral significance of america and in the need for moral grounding for its policies abroad.
Oct 02, 2015 niall ferguson wants us to reject the stereotyped image of henry kissinger as a cynical, amoral realist. Jan 20, 2018 the secret to henry kissingers success many think the retired diplomats closeness to one manrichard nixonwas the source of his power. In the four decades since henry kissingers visit to china in. Yet as niall ferguson shows in this magisterial biography, the idea of kissinger as the ruthless archrealist is based on a profound misunderstanding.
Internationally renowned harvard historian niall ferguson came to the intelligence squared stage to discuss his new appraisal of kissinger. The biography begins in furth, germany, kissingers place of birth, and describes the vibrant jewish community that existed there during the 19th and early 20th century. The secret to henry kissingers success niall ferguson. Kissinger still sees the west as the most important region in the world, although he lambasts europeans for being overly committed to values without necessarily having any power. The idealist shifts the trajectory of kissinger studies fundamentally. Kissinger spoke on friday to a full levinson auditorium, calling for a re. Brexit, populism and kissinger with niall ferguson conversations with history duration. The all souls historian rohan butler concluded the first volume of. Oct 04, 2015 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. The secret to henry kissingers success many think the retired diplomats closeness to one manrichard nixonwas the source of his power.
From the bestselling author of the ascent of money and the square and the tower, the definitive biography of henry kissinger, based on. The players in the great game of foreign policy make their moves based on their understanding of. Mar 25, 2016 having established the terms of the defence in this volume which covers kissingers life until his 1968 appointment as national security adviser ferguson will have to carry through in the next and show that all of kissingers many initiatives, including assaulting cambodia and laos, greenlighting suhartos invasion of east timor. Like his classic twovolume history of the house of rothschild, kissinger sheds dazzling new. Niall ferguson on henry kissinger coming home to harvard. Apr 17, 2015 the ivy leagues favorite war criminal.
The idealist, 19231968, is the first volume of henry kissinger s biography, written by niall ferguson. Niall ferguson on the life of henry kissinger chicago. 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. Cronin best defense department of the mandate of heaven historian niall ferguson likes to think big. Henry kissinger, niall ferguson, david daokui li, fareed zakaria. Nov 21, 2016 we are a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to and affiliated sites. Niall fergusons dishonest biography of henry kissinger. I never had any doubt that the vietnamese were capable of organizing complicated things. The idealist, 19231968, is the first volume of henry kissingers biography, written by niall ferguson. Apr 01, 2014 niall ferguson is a senior fellow at the hoover institution at stanford university, former laurence 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. Having established the terms of the defence in this volume which covers kissingers life until his 1968 appointment as national security adviser ferguson will have to carry through in the next and show that all of kissingers many initiatives, including assaulting cambodia and laos, greenlighting suhartos invasion of east timor.
Henry kissinger and his biographer, naill ferguson. Like ferguson s classic twovolume history of the house of rothschild, kissinger sheds dazzling new light on an entire era. The bombing of north vietnam and cambodia, which kissinger had endorsed at the end of the wars in southeast asia, was taken as proof of his unwavering militarism. He was, ferguson writes, like a character out of mission. Sep 09, 2012 ferguson is a provocative historian, but he is sometimes a shady numbers man and always a sunny militarist. Drawing not only on kissingers hitherto closed private papers but also on documents from more than a hundred archives around the world, this biography is niall fergusons masterpiece. Kissinger brought to this task an innate capacity to make emotional as well as intellectual connections even with the most aloof of interlocutors, a skill he had honed long before his appointment by the famously aloof nixon. He spent his early adolescence under the third reich. In his charmless biography of henry kissinger, niall ferguson fails to make a. Niall ferguson is one of the worlds most renowned historians. Schumpeter warned that socialism might ultimately prevail.
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