World Order：Reflections on the Character of Nations and the Course of History

“Dazzlingandinstructive...[a]magisterialnewbook.”HenryKissingeroffersinWorldOrderadeepmeditationontherootsofinternationalharmonyandglobaldisorder.Drawingonhisexperienceasoneoftheforemoststatesmenofthemodernera—advisingpresidents,travelingtheworld,observingandshapingthecentralforeignpolicyeventsofrecentdecades—Kissingernowrevealshisanalysisoftheultimatechallengeforthetwenty-firstcentury:howtobuildasharedinternationalorderinaworldofdivergenthistoricalperspectives,violentconflict,proliferatingtechnology,andideologicalextremism.Therehasneverbeenatrue“worldorder,”Kissingerobserves.Formostofhistory,civilizationsdefinedtheirownconceptsoforder.Eachconsidereditselfthecenteroftheworldandenvisioneditsdistinctprinciplesasuniversallyrelevant.ChinaconceivedofaglobalculturalhierarchywiththeEmperoratitspinnacle.InEurope,Romeimagineditselfsurroundedbybarbarians;whenRomefragmented,Europeanpeoplesrefinedaconceptofanequilibriumofsovereignstatesandsoughttoexportitacrosstheworld.Islam,initsearlycenturies,considereditselftheworld’ssolelegitimatepoliticalunit,destinedtoexpandindefinitelyuntiltheworldwasbroughtintoharmonybyreligiousprinciples.TheUnitedStateswasbornofaconvictionabouttheuniversalapplicabilityofdemocracy—aconvictionthathasguideditspolicieseversince.Nowinternationalaffairstakeplaceonaglobalbasis,andthesehistoricalconceptsofworldorderaremeeting.Everyregionparticipatesinquestionsofhighpolicyineveryother,ofteninstantaneously.Yetthereisnoconsensusamongthemajoractorsabouttherulesandlimitsguidingthisprocess,oritsultimatedestination.Theresultismountingtension.GroundedinKissinger’sdeepstudyofhistoryandhisexperienceasNationalSecurityAdvisorandSecretaryofState,WorldOrderguidesreadersthroughcrucialepisodesinrecentworldhistory.KissingeroffersauniqueglimpseintotheinnerdeliberationsoftheNixonadministration’snegotiationswithHanoiovertheendoftheVietnamWar,aswellasRonaldReagan’stensedebateswithSovietPremierGorbachevinReykjavík.HeofferscompellinginsightsintothefutureofU.S.–ChinarelationsandtheevolutionoftheEuropeanUnion,andexamineslessonsoftheconflictsinIraqandAfghanistan.TakingreadersfromhisanalysisofnuclearnegotiationswithIranthroughtheWest’sresponsetotheArabSpringandtensionswithRussiaoverUkraine,WorldOrderanchorsKissinger’shistoricalanalysisinthedecisiveeventsofourtime.Provocativeandarticulate,blendinghistoricalinsightwithgeopoliticalprognostication,WorldOrderisauniqueworkthatcouldcomeonlyfromalifelongpolicymakeranddiplomat.