The 1973 Yom Kippur War marked a turning point in the “special relationship” between the United States and Israel. While previous U.S. administrations had taken an even hand in the Middle East, the action saw American support of Israel become unconditional. A massive airlift of military hardware to Israel brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union closer the conflict.

As the war-just two weeks in duration-played out along the Suez Canal, U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew was forced to resign amidst bribery allegations. Watergate crescendoed, resulting in President Nixon's mental near-breakdown. Despite Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's efforts to supply arms to Israel, he was stymied by resistance in the State Department, which some saw as threatening to result in an Arab victory. Ostensibly a U.S. foreign policy success, the war led directly to the 1974 oil crisis and a permanent rift in U.S.-Israeli relations.

Drawing on Kissinger's telephone conversations and other recently declassified documents, this book tells the story of how the secretary became the chief architect of America's Middle East policy, and how his Cold War strategy played a critical role in the decision to pursue active military involvement.