The Cold War

John Lewis Gaddis

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English

Penguin
06 February 2007

History; General & world history; Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000; Marxism & Communism

The first truly commercial one-volume history of the Cold War

In 1950, when Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il-Sung met in Moscow to discuss the future, they had reason to feel optimistic. International Communism seemed everywhere on the offensive- all of Eastern Europe was securely in the Soviet camp; America's monopoly on nuclear weapons was a thing of the past; and Mao's forces had assumed control over the world's most populous country. The story of the previous five decades was one of the worst fears confirmed, and there seemed as of 1950 little sign, at least to the West, that the next fifty years would be any less dark.

In fact, of course, the century's end brought the widespread triumph of political and economic freedom over its ideological enemies. In The Cold War, John Lewis Gaddis makes a major contribution to our understanding of this epochal story.

Beginning with the Second World War and ending with the collapse of the Soviet Union, he provides a thrilling account of the strategic dynamics that drove the age.

Now, as Britain once more finds itself in a global confrontation with an implacable ideological enemy, The Cold War tells a story whose lessons it is vitally necessary to understand.

By: John Lewis Gaddis
Imprint: Penguin
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 282g
ISBN: 9780141025322
ISBN 10: 0141025328
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 06 February 2007
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

John Lewis Gaddis is the Robert A. Lovett Professor of History at Yale University, and 'the dean of cold war historians' (The New York Times). He is the author of numerous books, including Security and the American Experience, the book recently pressed on his cabinet and senior security staff by President Bush.

Reviews for The Cold War

"A fresh and admirably concise history . . . Gaddis's mastery of the material, his fluent style and eye for the telling anecdote make his new work a pleasure. (""The Economist"") Energetically written and lucid, it makes an ideal introduction to the subject. (""The New York Times"") Outstanding ... The most accessible distillation of that conflict yet written. (""The Boston Globe"")"