Histories of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, that Cold War odd couple, hold intrinsic interest, but Robert Dallek's book possesses a significance all its own. Many of its sources are unprecedented: National Security files for both men; thousands of hours of taped conversations; tens of thousands of pages of telephone transcripts. And the revelations of Nixon and Kissinger dwarf predecessor studies. Dallek argues persuasively that domestic politics and foreign policy illusions unnecessarily prolonged the Vietnam War by at least three years. He also reveals for the first time the discussions and strategies behind the administration's assault on the Allende government of Chile, and he explores the deep roots of Nixon-Kissinger policies toward China and Russia. History buffs will be struck by Dallek's counterintuitive argument that these two sometimes ruthless power brokers both suffered from radically low self-esteem.