Summary of Years of Renewal

Years of Renewal, written by Henry Kissinger, is a comprehensive history of the Nixon and Ford administrations. Through tape recordings, interviews, and declassified documents, Kissinger examines the chaotic period from 1969 to 1977 when foreign policy decisions implicated a New American Era. The book covers events such as the Vietnam War, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the reshaping of the Middle East, détente with the Soviet Union, the reopening of China, and the emergence of post-colonial regimes in Africa. Kissinger emphasizes the politics and personalities behind the decisions, which often pitted allies against each other in order to address the challenges of the Cold War era. He pays particular attention to the role of President Nixon in this period of history. By the end of the book, Kissinger is able to demonstrate how the policies of the Nixon and Ford administrations would endure long beyond the 1970s, setting the stage for the Reagan Revolution and for the foreign relations of today.