The to Z of the Cold War - (A to Z Guides) by Simon Davis & Joseph Smith (Paperback)

About the Book

Covering an extensive period and much of the globe, this dictionary presents a year-by-year chronology and alphabetical entries on civilian and military leaders, crucial countries and peripheral conflicts, the increasingly lethal weapons systems, and the various political and military strategies.

Book Synopsis

This highly praised book captures the essence and the madness of the "balance of terror" that was the Cold War. Describing an extensive period and much of the globe, The A to Z of the Cold War presents a year-by-year chronology, an introductory essay, and hundreds of entries on civilian and military leaders, central issues and peripheral conflicts, crucial countries and their allies or foes, the contending alliances and the non-aligned, deterrence and détente, the increasingly lethal weapons systems, and the various political and military strategies.

While both authors are specialists in American foreign policy and diplomacy, Smith has a particular interest in United States relations with Latin America and Davis in Anglo-American relations. This broader focus is helpful, because it enables the authors to have a broader view of the Cold War, and having studied and lived in Great Britain, they view events from a more neutral perspective. This, and a conscious effort to maintain a scholarly balance, enhances the objectivity of this volume. Smith and Davis have produced an easy-to-use reference tool for both the history scholar and student.

Review Quotes

"The current obsession with international terrorism has dimmed our collective memory. It was only 14 years ago the Soviet Union collapsed and historians were declaring that such an unexpected and tumultuous event could only herald 'the end of history.' Many would argue that it was the global bipartite control of the two superpowers-the USA and the Soviet Union-during the Cold War era, which kept the forces of terrorism in check. An interested reader of history who would like to learn more about the Cold War would be well served by reading A to Z of the Cold War, a historical dictionary....I highly recommend this reference book for all public, school, and academic libraries. Its strength lies in its authority, flexibility, and ease of use. Useful for the layperson looking for a basic understanding of political events, the undergraduate student writing a term paper and the scholar doing a quick fact search." --Reference Reviews

"Can you quickly summarize the Hallstein Doctrine? How about giving the difference between trilateralism and tripartisme? Smith (American diplomatic history, Exeter U.) and Davis (history, City U. of New York) explain it all to you in this dictionary of the war that has passed into our increasingly unreliable memories. They open with a comprehensive chronology and introduction, followed by hundreds of entries about the politicians, events, weaponry, issues, and countries involved. They list the treaties, organizations, acts, doctrines, hopes and fears of that remarkable era. As a result, readers get a basic background in what happened, along with a healthy dose of why. Smith and Davis include a select bibliography ordered chronologically and a subject index." --Reference and Research Book News

Can you quickly summarize the Hallstein Doctrine? How about giving the difference between trilateralism and tripartisme? Smith (American diplomatic history, Exeter U.) and Davis (history, City U. of New York) explain it all to you in this dictionary of the war that has passed into our increasingly unreliable memories. They open with a comprehensive chronology and introduction, followed by hundreds of entries about the politicians, events, weaponry, issues, and countries involved. They list the treaties, organizations, acts, doctrines, hopes and fears of that remarkable era. As a result, readers get a basic background in what happened, along with a healthy dose of why. Smith and Davis include a select bibliography ordered chronologically and a subject index.

The current obsession with international terrorism has dimmed our collective memory. It was only 14 years ago the Soviet Union collapsed and historians were declaring that such an unexpected and tumultuous event could only herald 'the end of history.' Many would argue that it was the global bipartite control of the two superpowers-the USA and the Soviet Union-during the Cold War era, which kept the forces of terrorism in check. An interested reader of history who would like to learn more about the Cold War would be well served by reading A to Z of the Cold War, a historical dictionary....I highly recommend this reference book for all public, school, and academic libraries. Its strength lies in its authority, flexibility, and ease of use. Useful for the layperson looking for a basic understanding of political events, the undergraduate student writing a term paper and the scholar doing a quick fact search.

About the Author

Joseph Smith is a reader in American diplomatic history in the department of history at Exeter University, England. An expert on American foreign relations, especially with Latin America, he has conducted archival research in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society of Great Britain and is a member of the Council of the Historical Association of Great Britain. He has written several books, including The Cold War, 1945-1991 and A History of Brazil; he has also been the editor for several years of History, the journal of the Historical Association of Great Britain.
Simon Davis is an assistant professor of history at the Bronx Community College, City University of New York. A specialist on Anglo-American diplomatic relations in the 20th century, he is also interested in military and naval history, having taught for some years at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. His publications include articles in Diplomacy and Statecraft and the Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature and the R.U.S.I./Brasseys' Defence Yearbook.