The Cold War dominated world affairs for nearly 50 years, and its causes, course and consequences are still matters of intense debate. Those involved with that debate will benefit by a straightforward chronological account of it. But a library considering purchase of the book must bear in mind that it is stated to be based on extracts from the same publisher's much larger Chronological History of US Foreign Relations (Brune and Burns, 2003), supplemented by “some” additional material; it is not clear how much. The book is said to be aimed at “scholars, librarians, students, researchers and citizens” (categories which seem to cover the entire population of the world).
The book devotes an average of eight pages to the most significant events in relations between Russia and the West in every relevant year, though the coverage per year appears to increase in length in the more recent periods. Relations with China and other Communist states are covered, but at much less length. It is in the nature of such a work as this that the text is more descriptive than analytical. The general and chapter introductions are the only sections that attempt much analysis, and even there it is not done at length, although there are frequent quotations from the views of earlier historians of the period. Where historians do not agree – as in the basic controversy over the origins of the Cold War – the author states the two views without taking sides. But at times, for example when describing US foreign policy towards Third World conflicts, he is not afraid to criticise the US government. The text is updated to 2004, and is thus able to elucidate events (such as the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961) when the true story was not publicly known at the time. As this example shows, the focus of the book moves from place to place as crisis succeeded crisis. In contrast, as much attention is paid to the any negotiations which attempted to ameliorate the international situation as the crises that aggravated it.
In condensing this work from a larger one, some inconsistencies have crept in. Thus, the declarations of independence by the Baltic States in 1990‐1991 are specified, but not their annexation by the Soviet Union 50 years previously. There are even a number of preventable mistakes. Some are merely slips of the pen (as when Prince Sihanouk is described as ruler of Laos rather than Cambodia), but a few a more serious (it is stated that Germany had a treaty obligation to declare war on the USA in 1941, which is not so).
The main text is supplemented by a substantial classified bibliography, updated to 2004 and consisting almost entirely of English language books; a section of short biographies of the principal Soviet and Chinese (but not American) leaders; and a comprehensive index. There are numerous relevant maps (though one of them is not specified in the list), and useful, but not very well reproduced, photographs. This book will certainly help to enlighten readers, both in public and academic libraries, who wish to inform themselves about these important events of twentieth century history, but it does not seek to provide a full explanation of their significance.
