Dazzling and instructive . . . [a] magisterial new book. Walter Isaacson, Time Henry Kissinger offers inWorld Ordera deep meditation on the roots of international harmony and global disorder.

Drawing on his experience as one of the foremost statesmen of the modern era advising presidents, traveling the world, observing and shaping the central foreign policy events of recent decades Kissinger now reveals his analysis of the ultimate challenge for the twenty-first century: how to build a shared international order in a world of divergent historical perspectives, violent conflict, proliferating technology, and ideological extremism.

There has never been a true world order, Kissinger observes. For most of history, civilizations defined their own concepts of order. Each considered itself the center of the world and envisioned its distinct principles as universally relevant. China conceived of a global cultural hierarchy with the emperor at its pinnacle.

In Europe, Rome imagined itself surrounded by barbarians; when Rome fragmented, European peoples refined a concept of an equilibrium of sovereign states and sought to export it across the world. Islam, in its early centuries, considered itself the world s sole legitimate political unit, destined to expand indefinitely until the world was brought into harmony by religious principles.

The United States was born of a conviction about the universal applicability of democracy a conviction that has guided its policies ever since. Now international affairs take place on a global basis, and these historical concepts of world order are meeting.

Every region participates in questions of high policy in every other, often instantaneously. Yet there is no consensus among the major actors about the rules and limits guiding this process or its ultimate destination.

The result is mounting tension. Grounded in Kissinger s deep study of history and his experience as national security advisor and secretary of state, World Orderguides readers through crucial episodes in recent world history.

Kissinger offers a unique glimpse into the inner deliberations of the Nixon administration s negotiations with Hanoi over the end of the Vietnam War, as well as Ronald Reagan s tense debates with Soviet Premier Gorbachev in Reykjavik.

He offers compelling insights into the future of U.S. China relations and the evolution of the European Union, and he examines lessons of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Taking readers from his analysis of nuclear negotiations with Iran through the West s response to the Arab Spring and tensions with Russia over Ukraine, World Orderanchors Kissinger s historical analysis in the decisive events of our time.

Provocative and articulate, blending historical insight with geopolitical prognostication, World Orderis a unique work that could come only from a lifelong policy maker and diplomat."


《賈伯斯傳》作者華特‧艾薩克森於《時代》雜誌中針對本書寫道：「引人入勝、發人深省……極具權威性之新作。」

亨利‧季辛吉在本書中深入分析世界和諧與紛亂的源頭何在。身為當代政壇風雲人物，季辛吉曾任總統顧問，足跡遍布全球，這幾十年來，他仔細觀察且影響了許多重大的美國外交政策。

季辛吉分析 21 世紀的終極挑戰：如何在歷史觀點分歧、暴力衝突嚴重、科技急遽發展以及意識形態極端的狀態下，建立起全球秩序。他認為真正的世界秩序從來不曾存在，在大部分人類歷史中，各文明對於「秩序」都有自己的定義，總認為自己才是世界的中心，而自己獨特的原則理念則應放諸四海皆準。

中國建構起一個全球的文化階級制度，由皇帝站在金字塔頂端。在歐洲，羅馬人總覺得國土以外的都是蠻夷之邦；在羅馬帝國分崩離析後，歐洲人改進了主權國家之間力量平衡的概念，試圖將此理念傳播到全世界。伊斯蘭在創立之初的幾世紀，一直認為自己是世界上唯一正統政權，因此它的使命就是擴張版圖，直到所有人皆信奉伊斯蘭信仰，達到世界大同。

美利堅合眾國之所以誕生，正是美國人深信民主的概念是普世價值；自建國之初，這樣的信念便一直引導著美國的政策發展。現今的國際事務往往在全球舞台上展開，對世界秩序的各種歷史觀點也開始互相衝擊，各地區時常會立刻插手其他區域的重要政策相關問題。

然而，具有全球政治影響力的主要國家，始終無法過程中的應有的規範與限制達成共識，亦無法決定共同的目標，因此造成情勢日漸緊張。季辛吉對歷史有深入的研究，擔任國安顧問以及國務卿的經驗也讓他有豐富的閱歷，因此透過本書，他能夠帶領讀者一一探討近代世界史的重要事件。

季辛吉以獨特觀點剖析尼克森政權與越南政府協商終結越戰時的內部考量，以及雷根總統與蘇聯領袖戈巴契夫於雷克雅維克高峰會的激烈談判。季辛吉帶領讀者共遊時事，對未來中美關係以及歐盟的演變提供有力見解、檢視在伊拉克與阿富汗衝突中得到的教訓、剖析伊朗核武談判、深究西方世界對阿拉伯之春，以及俄羅斯與烏克蘭之間緊張情勢的反響。

季辛吉從歷史分析的觀點為當代事關重大的議題提出獨到的見解。本書內容引人深思且條理分明，融合歷史觀點與地緣政治預測，唯有一生從事政府決策與外交工作的季辛吉，才能寫出如此獨特的作品。