Super K

A Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, a war criminal and the Einstein of diplomacy – how Henry Kissinger made a name for himself

Henry Kissinger served just under seven years as the US National Security Adviser and less than four years as Secretary of State. And yet somehow he’s the most garlanded – and most notorious – diplomat of the twentieth century, outshining even presidents and world leaders in his name recognition. How did this happen? In the last half of his life, Kissinger wrote and rewrote his own legacy, determined to secure his place in the pantheon of great statesmen.

Barbara Keys unveils Kissinger as a master of reputation management: lavishing hospitality –and access – on sympathetic journalists, editors and broadcasters, and deploying legal threats and complaints against his critics. He hosted biographers in his grand estate in Connecticut, sought out endowed professorships in his name, and remained secretive to the last about his consulting business. He got what he wanted: he went down in history.