Diplomacy

Henry Kissinger, former United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, surveys how diplomacy and relations between states developed, with most attention on the Western world in the 20th century. Writing as a realist, he follows the balance of power, raison d'État and Realpolitik from 17th-century Europe through the World Wars and the Cold War, with chapters on figures from Richelieu and Bismarck to Nixon and Gorbachev. He critiques collective security and self-determination as principles of the League of Nations, and often refers to himself when covering the Nixon and Ford presidencies. Historian Ernest R. May faulted it for historical inaccuracies.

James Mattis included it in the list of favorite books printed in Appendix B of Call Sign Chaos, and Bogdan Savonea, CEO of TPS Engage, named it in his interview with The CEO Library.