The United States and the Origins of the Cold War, 1941â "1947 - (Columbia Studies in Contemporary American History) 2nd Edition by John Gaddis

About the Book

This book moves beyond the focus on economic considerations that was central to the work of New Left historians, examining the many other forces--domestic politics, bureaucratic inertia, quirks of personality, and perceptions of Soviet intentions--that influenced key decision makers in Washington.

Book Synopsis

John Lewis Gaddis' acclaimed history of U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union during and immediately after World War II is now available with a new preface by the author. This book moves beyond the focus on economic considerations that was central to the work of New Left historians, examining the many other forces--domestic politics, bureaucratic inertia, quirks of personality, and perceptions of Soviet intentions--that influenced key decision makers in Washington, and in doing so seeks to analyze these determinants of policy in terms of their full diversity and relative significance.

Review Quotes

[T]he most satisfactory post-revisionist treatment of American policy making to date.-- "New York Times Book Review"

An exceptionally elegant and detached example of post revisionism. (from the first edition)-- "The New York Review of Books"

History moves fast, and it is a rare book that stays current after almost 30 years. John Gaddis's "postrevisionist" study of how the United States and Soviet Union got themselves into such sterile conflict of interests following the defeat of the Axis remains one of the best books available on this crucial period.-- "The Daily Yomiuri"

About the Author

John Lewis Gaddis is professor of history at Yale University