World Restored Hb (W&N 50th Anniversary List) [Hardcover]

Henry Kissinger (Author)

Book Description

Series: W&N 50th Anniversary List | Publication Date: October 28, 1999

The Napoleonic Wars were followed by an almost unprecedented century of political stability. A World Restored analyses the alliances formed and treaties signed by the world's leaders during the years 1812 to 1822, focussing on the personalities of the two main negotiators: Viscount Castlereagh, the British foreign secretary, and Prince von Metter- nich, his Austrian counterpart. Henry Kissinger explains how the turbulent relationship between these two men, the differing concerns of their respective countries and the changing nature of diplomacy all influenced the final shape of the peace. Originally published in 1957.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in Germany in 1923, Henry Kissinger emigrated to the United States in 1938. After teaching at Harvard University he served as Assistant to the President for National Security 1969-1975 and as Secretary of State 1973-1977. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: Weidenfled & Nicolson (October 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0297643959
• ISBN-13: 978-0297643951
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,587,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kissinger at his best, December 28, 1999

By 

A reader (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of Peace, 1812-1822 (Paperback)

This book lives up to and exceeds all expectations. Kissinger shows us in great detail what his Balance of Power Doctrine is based upon by showing the great diplomat Metternich in all his glory, when the Concert of Europe truly began. When the Quadruple Alliance of Great Britain and the imperial powers allied and the Holy Alliance between Prussia, Russia, and Austria began, it was the beginning of years of uninterrupted peace, its only flaw that it did not anticipate the rise of nationalism that had already begun under Napoleon. This is in its most basic form a philosophic justification for all the diplomatic initiatives undertook in the Nixon and Ford Administrations under Kissinger in an analogic manner. Kissinger is one of the giants of our time, and he proves that save for Metternich, he is one of the diplomats most capable of comprehending all the subleties of and exercising brilliantly the Balance of Power Doctrine. A remarkable dissertation that foreshadows the birth of a giant on the world stage.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless wisdom at all levels from a master of diplomacy, September 26, 2000

By 

james kohut (Fresno, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of Peace, 1812-1822 (Paperback)

Henry Kissinger, who wrote the essence of this book as a graduate student at Harvard, encapsulates his version of diplomatic lessons in this timeless masterpiece. Whether you are dealing with Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin or a tyrannical boss at work, this work contains insights which transcend the period of study. In picking an obsure historical period, the time around and after the Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the 18th century in Europe, Kissinger runs the risk of seeming irrelevant to the modern (or post-modern) sensibility. Even a cursory review of the book will disprove this. Kissenger basically discusses the problems and politics of building a coalition, proving a tyrant to be a tyrant, and finally how to construct a practical enduring peace. His writing is insightful, full of preternatural wisdom and of enduring value. The lessons transcend a time period, but also transcend an historical scale: they apply to a variety of coalitions at the national and individual level. I recommend the book whole-heartedly. You will come away with a deep understanding of politics at all levels and also why Kissinger dominated the diplomacy of his period.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legitimacy, and the intricacies of politics and diplomacy..., February 19, 2003

By 

M. B. Alcat "Curiosity killed the cat, but sa... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of Peace, 1812-1822 (Paperback)

I think that this book is a classic, because its historical analysis on the problems of peace after a revolutionary period is truly insightful, and contains valuable lessons that are still very important nowadays.

Kissinger allows us to understand the difficulties inherent to finding a new legitimacy, accepted by all. He also delves into the best ways to solve the disputes that often arise in coalitions that include actors whose interests differ a lot. His comments were specifically about the Quadruple Alliance (Great Britain, Austria, Prusia and Russia) but can be applied to many other cases.

I specially liked how he dissected the personalites of the actors in this play, Napoleon, Metternich,Castlereagh and Talleyrand, and the manner in which he highlights that those personalities influenced the course of history.

This is an important period, because as the title of the book claims, a world was restaured. The Concert of Europe began and a new era of peace started, thanks to the perspicacy of Metternich and after the instability caused by the napoleonic wars. In this book we get to know a little more of Kissinger as an historian but also as a diplomat, as he shows us the intricacies of politics and diplomacy.

Even if this book is sometimes a little slow, I give it my highest recommendation, because it leaves you with much more knowledge, not only about this period but also regarding political realism.

Belen Alcat