Book Review: The Kissinger Tapes by Tom Wells
This article reviews Tom Wells' book, 'The Kissinger Tapes,' which compiles and analyzes secretly recorded phone conversations of Henry Kissinger during his tenure as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State. The review highlights how these transcripts, spanning from 1969 to 1977, offer unprecedented insight into U.S. foreign policy decision-making during critical historical moments, including the Vietnam War, the opening to China, and the Watergate scandal. While the recordings underscore Kissinger's strategic brilliance and wit, they also expose his manipulative tactics, frequent conflicts with colleagues, and deceptive interactions with journalists and President Nixon. Edited from 20,000 pages of transcripts, the book organizes these calls by subject and date, providing context for Kissinger's self-described preference for brutal diplomacy. The review emphasizes the dual nature of Kissinger's legacy revealed through these tapes: a master diplomat whose methods often involved backstabbing and lying. This publication serves as a significant historical resource, detailing the minute-by-minute dynamics of American diplomacy in the twentieth century.
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Book Review: The Kissinger Tapes by Tom Wells
This article reviews Tom Wells' book, 'The Kissinger Tapes,' which compiles and analyzes secretly recorded phone conversations of Henry Kissinger during his tenure as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State. The review highlights how these transcripts, spanning from 1969 to 1977, offer unprecedented insight into U.S. foreign policy decision-making during critical historical moments, including the Vietnam War, the opening to China, and the Watergate scandal. While the recordings underscore Kissinger's strategic brilliance and wit, they also expose his manipulative tactics, frequent conflicts with colleagues, and deceptive interactions with journalists and President Nixon. Edited from 20,000 pages of transcripts, the book organizes these calls by subject and date, providing context for Kissinger's self-described preference for brutal diplomacy. The review emphasizes the dual nature of Kissinger's legacy revealed through these tapes: a master diplomat whose methods often involved backstabbing and lying. This publication serves as a significant historical resource, detailing the minute-by-minute dynamics of American diplomacy in the twentieth century.
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