"A masterful account of the Cold War by a distinguished historian in full stride." G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs
To the amazement of the public, pundits, and even the policymakers themselves, the ideological and political battles that endangered the world for half a century came to an end in 1990. How did that happen? What caused the cold war in the first place, and why did it last as long as it did?
"[A] sweeping work . . . Leffler is one of America's most distinguished cold war historians, and this enlightening, readable study is the product of years of research and reflection." Jonathan Rosenberg, The Christian Science Monitor
"Leffler has produced possibly the most readable and insightful study of the Cold War yet." Publishers Weekly, (starred review)
"Professor Leffler has the benefit of almost two decades of hindsight as well as access to recently declassified American and Soviet documents. The result is a series of fresh and often provocative perspectives on the struggle." Booklist