Britain, according to ferguson, entered into war based on naive assumptions of german aims and englands entry into the war transformed a continental conflict into a world war, which they. He is the author of paper and iron, the house of rothschild, the pity of war, the cash. Ferguson also had access to kissingers personal papers, diaries and letters. His research included access to previously private papers, documents from more than 100 archives and many interviews with his subjects former colleagues. He is also a visiting professor at tsinghua university, beijing. Previously, he was a professor at harvard university and new york university, visiting professor at new college of the humanities and senior research fellow at jesus college, oxford.
The history of the house of rothschild won the wadsworth prize for business history. The west and the rest traces kissingers life from his birth in germany in 1923 through his service in wwii and growing career as a foreign policy expert, culminating in his 1968 appointment as national security advisor to newly elected president richard nixon. Oct 15, 2015 in contrast, ferguson, tone deaf to kissingers darker notes, condemns him to a literary fate worse than anything that hitchens could have meted out. Bit by bit, kissinger was becoming a foreign policy expert with few rivals. In his pronouncements on the war in vietnam, ferguson insists kissinger was an idealist first and foremost. Niall fergusons protestations aside, henry kissinger was the. He tries to explain the origins of wwi, arguing that german paranoia of encirclement, a disparity of domestic financial constraints among european powers, and british miscalculations of germanys longterm interests were among the primary catalysts of the outbreak of war in august 1914.
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. He is the author of fifteen books, including the pity of war, the house of rothschild, empire, civilization and. Actually, the book vaguely specifies kissingers idealist credentials and seems to root them in the fact that as an undergraduate he found kant interesting. Mar 03, 2000 niall ferguson is one of the worlds most renowned historians. Niall ferguson history and the practice of diplomacy. Yet as niall ferguson shows in this magisterial twovolume biography, drawing not only on kissingers hitherto closed private papers but also on documents from more than a hundred archives around the world, the idea of kissinger as the ruthless archrealist is based on a profound misunderstanding. The book illustrates just what an extraordinary human being kissinger is. He is senior fellow at the hoover institution, stanford university, and a. When niall fergusons henry kissinger, 1923 to 1968.
Acting in the role of the prosecution, hitchens presents kissingers involvement in a series of alleged war crimes in vietnam, bangladesh, chile, cyprus and. Brexit, populism and kissinger with niall ferguson conversations. Niall fergusons dishonest biography of henry kissinger. Although this book is long at 986 pages, and kissinger has only just joined. Early in their new books on henry kissinger, niall ferguson and greg grandin tell the same story about a. He is the author of fifteen books, including the pity of war, the.
But fergusons main project is to insist that kissinger was not a realist. Ferguson discusses his new biography of henry kissinger, and sloane crosley talks about her first novel, the clasp. In contrast, ferguson, tone deaf to kissinger s darker notes, condemns him to a literary fate worse than anything that hitchens could have meted out. According to the british historian and tv presenter niall ferguson, kissinger was the preeminent cold war intellectual. The secret to henry kissingers success niall ferguson journalism.
Sep 26, 2015 the most crucial of fergusons historical revisions concerns the claim, first made by seymour hersh in his 1983 book the price of power, that kissinger leaked classified information to the nixon. Henry kissinger invited niall ferguson to write his biography. No american statesman has been as revered or as reviled as henry kissinge. Dec 04, 2015 to the late christopher hitchens he was a war criminal who should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. In the first of a planned twovolume henry kissinger biography, harvard historian ferguson civilization. The west and the rest traces kissinger s life from his birth in germany in 1923 through his service in wwii and growing career as a foreign policy expert, culminating in his 1968 appointment as national security advisor to newly elected president richard nixon. 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 trial of henry kissinger is a 2001 book by christopher hitchens examining the alleged war crimes of henry kissinger, the national security advisor and later united states secretary of state for presidents richard nixon and gerald ford. As brzezinski argued in his book between two ages, the new global city.
Ferguson spent many hours interviewing kissinger and many of his peers and family. The author of 15 books, ferguson is writing a life of henry kissinger, the first volume of which kissinger, 19231968. In his view, far from being the amoral archrealist portrayed by his enemies, kissinger owed a profound debt to philosophical idealism. The idealist, the first of a projected twovolume biography. It has long been assumed that henry kissinger supported the vietnam war throughout the 1960sand that this was one of the reasons richard nixon offered him the job of national security adviser. The secret to henry kissingers success niall ferguson. The idealist shifts the trajectory of kissinger studies fundamentally. 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. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel. Drawing not only on kissingers hitherto closed private papers but also on documents from more than a hundred archives around the world, ferguson argues that the true foundation of kissingers. Early in their new books on henry kissinger, niall ferguson and greg grandin tell the same story about a decisive break between kissinger and his former harvard colleagues over the u. Internationally renowned harvard historian niall ferguson came to the intelligence squared stage to discuss his new appraisal of kissinger. Like most members of the generation who fought in the second world war, nixon and kissinger had little patience with these groups.
While the 100 plus pages devoted to kissingers parttime advisory role in the kennedy administration might strike some as unnecessary padding and or an exercise in minutiae, ferguson tops it by devoting 250 pages of text to the vietnam war, the origins of american involvement and kissingers own role in the years prior to his appointment. He was not the first to be asked, and recalled being reluctant. 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. Noted harvard historian niall ferguson tells the first part of kissingers story in great detail in kissinger.
He is senior fellow at the hoover institution, stanford. 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. The idealistwas published in 2015 to critical acclaim. 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. In his charmless biography of henry kissinger, niall ferguson fails to. The idealist shifts the trajectory of kissinger studies. The idealist, 19231968, is the first volume of henry kissingers biography, written by niall ferguson. Feb 14, 2020 historian niall ferguson says the last cold war showed that there is always a risk that a cold war can turn hot. Ferguson supplies a succinct and clear discussion explaining how the first world war came about. The war of the world by niall ferguson is a terrific read, beautifully written and full of fascinating information, much of it that i was unaware of before. The book is well worth reading as a corrective to harsher historical. Niall ferguson this is a disaster, the economic consequences of which cannot be offset by even the biggest monetary and fiscal splurge.
Ferguson shows that he saw action during the battle of the bulge. Ferguson also gives a thoroughsometimes longwinded. The idealist excerpted here in politico magazine came out last month, it sparked a new. Kissinger enticed him with revelations about the survival of diaries and private letters, such as one to his parents in 1948 quoted at length to launch the lecture as well as the many essays he had written as a. In contrast, ferguson, tone deaf to kissingers darker notes, condemns him to a literary fate worse than anything that hitchens could have meted out. Oct 10, 2015 when niall fergusons henry kissinger, 1923 to 1968. 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. Previously, he was a professor at harvard university and new york university, visiting professor at new college of the humanities and senior research fellow at jesus college, oxford ferguson writes and lectures on international history, economic and. In this version of his work the focus falls predominantly on the reasons and motivations behind germanys and britains approach to the possibility of war and the eventual practicalities, as.
Having recently read a number of history books, including a. The idealist excerpted here in politico magazine came out last month, it sparked a new discussion about the controversial statesmans. To the late christopher hitchens he was a war criminal who should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. In this version of his work the focus falls predominantly on the reasons and motivations behind germanys and britains approach to the possibility of war and the eventual practicalities, as well as the diplomatic fallout. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read kissinger. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The book is well written and easy to read for a non historian. Note that this piece is a part of our weeklong series on kissinger and historians. In the pity of war, niall ferguson makes a simple and provocative argument. The idealist, the first of his projected twovolumes on henry kissinger, ferguson delves into the statesmans early life and thinking, providing the littleknown. The most crucial of fergusons historical revisions concerns the claim, first made by seymour hersh in his 1983 book the price of power, that kissinger leaked classified information to.
The war of the world by niall ferguson, paperback barnes. If ever kissingers scheme for limited nuclear war had been put into effect, one suspects. Yet as niall ferguson shows in this magisterial biography, the idea of kissinger as the ruthless archrealist is based on a profound misunderstanding. That very name, niall ferguson writes in the first volume of his biography of. The all souls historian rohan butler concluded the first volume of his biography. Taylors the origins of the second world war, i can truly say that this book by niall ferguson rates very highly indeed. By the seventies, millions of americans opposed the vietnam war. In the pity of war author niall ferguson takes on three primary objectives. To christopher hitchens, kissinger was a war criminal who should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. The idealist henry kissinger, harvard professor, before the senate foreign relations committee in 1966. The 21st is giving the 20th century a run for its money, but, as prolific historian ferguson historyharvard univ colossus, 2004, etc. To his admirers, he is the greatest strategic thinker america has ever produced. The idealist, 19231968, is the first volume of henry kissinger s biography, written by niall ferguson. The house of rothschild, the cash nexus, empire, colossus, the war of the world, the ascent of money, high financier, civilization, the great degeneration, kissinger, 19231968.
510 1 870 447 1113 492 187 1102 1438 203 1297 791 603 560 424 1555 1212 490 717 1607 166 469 791 1611 454 17 190 1366 1216 1092 373 1333 1448 239 425 778 1358 1251 1495 398 72