World Order
Published in 2014, World Order examines how various civilizations and eras have understood the idea of a legitimate international order. Drawing on his long career as a diplomat and scholar, Henry Kissinger contrasts several traditions: the European balance of power that emerged from the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, the Islamic and Chinese conceptions of order, and the American belief in spreading democratic values. He argues that today's world lacks a shared definition of order, creating tension as different systems and ambitions collide. The book reviews centuries of diplomacy and statecraft to ask how stability can be maintained among states with competing principles. Kissinger combines historical narrative with reflection on contemporary challenges, including nuclear weapons, technology, and the rise of new powers. It offers his synthesis of a lifetime of thinking about diplomacy and geopolitics.
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A survey of how different civilizations have conceived of international order and the challenges of balancing them today.
He contrasts the European balance of power with Islamic, Chinese, and American conceptions of international order.
He worries that the world lacks a shared definition of order, raising the risk of conflict among competing systems.
World Order was written by Henry Kissinger, published in 2014 by Penguin Books, Limited.
World Order is 432 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, World Order takes most readers 6 to 9 hours to finish.
World Order is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.