This biography is about the life of Henry Kissinger, written by Walter Isaacson. It provides insights into Kissinger's life, from his childhood in Bavaria, Germany, to his rise as a prominent political figure in the United States. Kissinger's father was a teacher, and his mother was a student at the university where his father taught. In 1938, his family moved to New York City, where his mother started a catering business. Kissinger attended high school and worked at a paintbrush factory. After graduating, he joined the Army and served in the intelligence corps. When the program was discontinued, he was reassigned to the 84th inter-infantry, where he was tasked with rooting out Nazi sympathizers.
In Germany, Kissinger met his first wife, Ann Fleisher. They married in 1949 and had two children, David and Elizabeth Kissinger. Kissinger attended Harvard and obtained a Ph.D. in political science, becoming a tenured professor. He wrote the most protracted thesis in Harvard's history and worked with the permanent form of foreign relations and the Rockefeller Foundation. Kissinger became close with Gov. Rockefeller, whose campaign he worked on.
Kissinger's most significant contribution to the political field was authoring the book on arms control. He also served as Richard Nixon's Secretary of State for several years. Interestingly, he had an easier time having a good relationship with countries that were not our allies, such as China. He authorized several U-2 intelligence-gathering missions and played an essential part in the expansion of the Vietnam War. Kissinger strongly believed in the balance of power or spheres of influence and was incredibly subservient to Richard Nixon, even though he did not respect him privately.
Kissinger wiretapped a substantial number of his perceived enemies and was even known to wiretap his aides when they left the White House. Of course, wiretapping was pervasive during the Nixon years. Kissinger felt that going through normal channels would slow things down, which frustrated the State Department regarding all the back-channel negotiations that both Nixon and Kissinger attempted. This came to a head when the leader of the South Vietnamese faction stopped trusting Kissinger and wished to punch him physically.
Kissinger was also indirectly responsible for the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. He was known to be a womanizer, and the White House often used attractive women to give him lousy news. However, the book also states that he eventually dated Barbara Walters. The most frequent person he dated after his first wife's divorce was Jill St. John, an actor with whom he became close and introduced him to influential people in Hollywood. The most notable theme was the director of The Godfather. He started a consulting firm that connected several businesses to influential people in foreign governments and helped them obtain licenses they would not usually be able to get because of bureaucratic red tape.
Kissinger was instrumental in the opening of China and was well-known for shuttle diplomacy. He had a strong belief in spheres of influence. He believed that every conflict he attempted to negotiate was somehow tied to Russia, given that he served as Secretary of State during the Cold War era. This biography highlights how comp. He believed that a person can be. Kissinger's life is a testament to his ability to achieve his goals efficiently while keeping important things close to his chest, which can be positive and negative, depending on the situation. In conclusion, no matter what Henry Kissinger has done in his life, I think the one inescapable belief about him is his influence on the political landscape of the United States and world affairs.