Intro -- Dedication -- List of Illustrations -- List of Maps -- Foreword -- Part One: Beginnings -- I. An Invitation -- Nelson Rockefeller -- The Phone Call -- Meeting Richard Nixon -- Encounters at the Pierre Hotel -- II. Period of Innocence: The Transition -- Getting Acquainted -- The Uneasy Team -- Getting Organized -- Turning to Substance -- III. The Convictions of An Apprentice Statesman -- An Historian's Perspective -- The American Experience -- Problems of a New Equilibrium -- Part Two: 1969: The Start of the Journey -- IV. European Journey -- Nixon Visits Europe -- Malaise of the Western Alliance -- London and the "Special Relationship," -- Bonn and Berlin and the Enigma of Germany -- Rome Interlude -- The Colossus of de Gaulle -- V. Opening Moves with Moscow -- Introduction to Anatoly Dobrynin -- The Enduring Philosophical Problem of US-Soviet Relations -- Reflections during the Transition Period -- Public and Congressional Attitudes: A Spring Flurry -- The Channel -- Preparing for SALT -- East-West Trade -- Eastern Europe: Nixon's Visit to Romania -- Conclusion -- VI. First Steps toward China -- First Signals -- The Ussuri River Clashes -- Rumors of War -- Triangular Politics -- VII. Defense Policy and Strategy -- Defense and the Strategic Balance -- The Defense Debate -- Antiballistic Missiles (ABM) -- Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRV) -- The Attack on the Defense Budget -- Strategic Doctrine -- Tactical Nuclear Weapons -- One and a Half Wars -- The Nixon Doctrine -- VIII. The Agony of Vietnam -- My Exposure to the Quagmire -- What We Found -- North Vietnamese Attacks and Cambodian Bombing -- Diplomacy for a Peace Settlement -- The Vance Mission -- Return to the Treadmill -- The Beginning of Troop Withdrawals -- A Secret Meeting with Xuan Thuy -- Another Reassessment -- The Unpacifiable Doves.

Groping for a Strategy -- IX. Early Tests in Asia -- The EC-121 Shootdown -- The US-Japanese Alliance -- The Okinawa Negotiation -- The Textile Fiasco -- X. Words and Shadows: Evolution of Middle East Strategy -- Initiatives Galore -- Middle East Visitors -- Diplomacy: Ever-New Proposals -- Yet Another Initiative -- Golda Meir -- The Rogers Plan -- The Evolving Strategy -- XI. The Uneasy Alliance: Europe and the United States -- Dilemmas of Europe's Success -- Consultations -- De Gaulle's Departure and European Unity -- The Common Defense: The American Perception -- East-West Relations in Europe -- Berlin and Brandt's Ostpolitik -- European Security Conference -- European Leaders Visit Washington: 1970 -- Second Thoughts about the Common Market -- Part Three: 1970-1971: From Turmoil to Hope -- XII. The War Widens -- Return to Secret Negotiations -- Special Adviser Le Duc Tho and the First Round of Talks -- Laos Interlude -- The Overthrow of Sihanouk -- The April 20 Troop Withdrawal Announcement -- The Attack on North Vietnamese Sanctuaries -- The Elusive Communist Headquarters and Other Battles -- The Domestic Travail -- The Balance Sheet -- XIII. The Soviet Riddle: Europe, SALT, and a Summit -- Hot and Cold -- The Riddle of Soviet Conduct -- Ostpolitik, -- SALT and the Defense Debate -- Pursuing a Moscow Summit -- XIV. Middle East 1970 -- The Kosygin Letter -- Soviet Soldiers and Missiles Appear in Egypt -- An American Diplomatic Initiative -- Cease-fire and Standstill -- Israel Bows out of Negotiations -- XV. The Autumn of Crises: Jordan -- Crisis in Jordan -- Iraqi-Jordanian Showdown -- Hijacking Crisis -- Showdown with the Guerrillas -- The Syrian Invasion -- XVI. The Autumn of Crises: Soviet Submarine Base at Cienfuegos -- A Message from Moscow -- A Flotilla Heads for Cienfuegos -- The Showdown -- Resolution of the Crisis.

XVII. The Autumn of Crises: Chile -- Salvador Allende -- Influence and Intervention: The 40 Committee -- The Chilean Election of 1970 -- The Coup That Never Was -- Allende Inaugurated -- XVIII. An Invitation to Peking -- The End of the Warsaw Channel -- Triangular Relationships -- The Pakistani Channel -- Ping-Pong Diplomacy -- Plans and Aberrations -- XIX. The Journey to Peking -- "Polo I": Prelude -- The Middle Kingdom: First Meeting with Chou En-lai -- The Announcement That Shook the World -- "The China Card," -- China at the United Nations -- "Polo II," -- The United Nations -- XX. US-Soviet Relations: Breakthrough on Two Fronts -- The Polish Riots -- The Channel Becomes Operational -- The SALT Negotiations and the May 20 Agreement -- The Berlin Negotiation -- The Summit Finally -- XXI. The Tilt: The India-Pakistan Crisis of 1971 -- Origins of Tragedy -- Two Cyclones -- Military Crackdown -- The Crisis Accelerates -- The Soviet-Indian Friendship Treaty -- Contacts with the Bangladesh Exiles -- Mrs. Gandhi Comes to Washington -- War between India and Pakistan -- The War Spreads -- Climax: A Fateful Decision -- The Aftermath -- XXII. Crisis in the Alliance: The Mansfield Amendment and the Economic Confrontation -- Mediterranean Journey -- De Gaulle's Funeral and Heath's Visit -- The Mansfield Amendment: The Old Guard Steps into the Breach -- The Economic Crisis: The Second "Nixon Shock," -- High-Level Consultations: The Final Round -- XXIII. Vietnam 1970-71: Forcing Hanoi's Hand -- Madame Binh's Eight Points -- The Setting of a Strategy -- The Laos Operation -- Lam Son 719: The Military Operation -- The Marches on Washington -- The Negotiations Are Resumed -- The South Vietnamese Presidential Election -- Revealing the Secret Talks -- Part Four: 1972: From War to Peace -- XXIV. Nixon's Trip to China -- The Haig Mission -- Arrival: The Handshake.

Mao Tse-tung -- Walks, Talks, and Toasts -- The Shanghai Communiqué -- Assessments -- XXV. Hanoi Throws the Dice: The Vietnam Spring Offensive -- Invasion -- The Buildup -- Diplomatic Maneuvers -- What Strategy? -- XXVI. The Secret Trip to Moscow -- Preparing the Summit -- Leonid Brezhnev -- Conversations with Brezhnev and Gromyko -- A Disagreement with the President -- XXVII. The Showdown: Mining of North Vietnamese Harbors -- Preparing for Decision -- The May 2 Secret Meeting -- The Mining of North Vietnam -- The Summit in the Balance -- Postlude -- XXVIII. The Moscow Summit -- Richard Nixon in the Kremlin -- Greetings and Meetings -- The Soviet Power Structure: Kosygin and Podgorny -- Round One on SALT: Brezhnev and Nixon -- Confrontation at the Dacha -- The SALT Negotiations Conclude -- Gromyko and the Middle East -- What Did the Summit Accomplish? -- XXIX. Summit Aftermath -- A Visit to the Shah of Iran -- Return through Warsaw -- The Soviet Grain Deal -- European Attitudes -- XXX. Sadat Expels the Soviets -- The Death of Nasser -- The Idea of an Interim Settlement -- The Phantom Memorandum -- Becoming Involved -- Backchannel Explorations -- Egypt Opens a Secret Channel to the United States -- XXXI. From Stalemate to Breakthrough -- Hanoi's Discomfiture -- Testing the Stalemate -- A Visit to Saigon -- Interlude: Meetings of September 15 and 27 -- The Breakthrough: The October 8 Meeting -- XXXII. The Troubled Road to Peace -- Interlude in Paris -- Consultation with Thieu -- First Rumblings -- Showdown with Thieu -- The Journey Home -- XXXIII. "Peace Is at Hand" -- Hanoi Goes Public -- Election Interlude -- Haig Visits Saigon Again -- The Meetings with Le Duc Tho Resume -- The December Talks: Breakdown of the Negotiation -- The Christmas Bombing -- Negotiations Resume -- The January Round -- Thieu Relents -- XXXIV. Peace At Last -- Postlude.

Photographs -- Chapter Notes -- Index -- Copyright.