Cold War: The Essential Reference Guide

(Hardback)

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The impact of the Cold War is still being felt around the world today. This insightful single-volume reference captures the events and personalities of the era, while also inspiring critical thinking about this still-controversial period. Cold War: The Essential Reference Guide is intended to introduce students to the tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States that dominated international affairs in the second half of the 20th century. A comprehensive overview essay, plus separate essays on the causes and consequences of the conflict, will provide readers with the necessary context to understand the many facets of this complex era. The guide's expert contributors cover all of the influential people and pivotal events of the period, encompassing the United States, the Soviet Union, Europe, Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa from political, military, and cultural perspectives. Reference entries offer valuable insight into the leaders and conflicts that defined the Cold War, while other essays promote critical thinking about controversial and significant Cold War topics, including whether Ronald Reagan was responsible for ending the Cold War, the impact of Sputnik on the Cold War, and the significance of the Prague Spring.

Reviews

Overall, this work is extremely useful. It is informative, easy-to-use, and well-written. * ARBA *
The editors and 56 other experts contributed the 85 signed alphabetical entries, along with six essays discussing the causes and consequences of the Cold War, the growth of technology, evolving East-West relations, proxy wars and military aid, and Ronald Reagan and the Cold War. Each entry and essay contains bibliographical references. . . . A recommended purchase for school, academic, and public libraries. * Booklist *

Author Bio

James R. Arnold is a military historian and the author of more than twenty books. Roberta Wiener is managing editor of the Journal of Military History.