Kissinger's Shadow: The Long Reach of America's Most Controversial Statesman

No foreign policy official has had more influence than Henry Kissinger (b. 1923), claims Grandin (history, New York Univ.; The Empire of Necessity) in this indictment of both Kissinger's diplomacy as national security advisor to Richard Nixon and later secretary of state to both Nixon and Gerald Ford as well as his advocacy of George W. Bush's regime-change politics during the Iraq War. The author's bleak assessment, which relies heavily on primary resources including newly declassified records, describes "Kissingerism" as a doctrine based on the imperial presidency and American exceptionalism stating that gut feelings are more important than historical facts, and what is good for Kissinger is good for the world. Kissinger's heavy and hidden-handed abuses are shown in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Southern Africa, and Latin America. "Kissingerism," concludes Grandin, has become ingrained in U.S. foreign policy and is practiced by both parties.