Henry Kissinger analyzes how six extraordinary leaders he has met have shaped their countries and the world. The leaders, as Kissinger writes in this fascinating book, 'think and act at the intersection of two axes: the first, between the past and the future; the second, between the enduring values and the ambitions of those who lead. They must balance what they know, which is inevitably derived from the past, with what they intuit about the future, which is inherently hypothetical and uncertain. This intuitive sense of direction allows leaders to set goals and shape strategy.'

In 'Leadership', Kissinger analyzes the lives of six exceptional leaders through the distinctive statecraft strategies he believes they embodied. After World War II, Konrad Adenauer restored defeated and morally bankrupt Germany back into the community of nations with what Kissinger calls a 'strategy of humility'. Charles de Gaulle placed France alongside the victorious Allies and renewed its historical grandeur with a 'strategy of will'. During the Cold War, Richard Nixon provided a geopolitical advantage to the United States through a 'strategy of balance'. After twenty-five years of conflict, Anwar Sadat offered a visionary peaceful solution for the Middle East with a 'strategy of transcendence'. Despite difficulties, Lee Kuan Yew created a powerful city-state, Singapore, with a 'strategy of excellence'. Although when she took power, Britain was known as 'the sick man of Europe', Margaret Thatcher revitalized her country's morale and international standing with a 'strategy of conviction'.

Each of these studies is enriched by historical insight, public experience and - because he knew each of his subjects and participated in many of the events he describes - personal knowledge. The book is rich in insights and judgments that only he could make, and concludes with his thoughts on the world order and the necessary leadership today.

Pages: 528, Dimensions: 13x13cm