The World of the Cold War

The World of the Cold WarCondition: BRAND NEW ISBN: 9780241696149 Format: Paper over boards Year: 2025 Publisher: Penguin UK Description: A sweeping, original history of the Cold War, from an acclaimed historian of the USSR Why did the Cold War erupt so soon after the Second World War? How did it escalate so rapidly, spanning five continents over six decades? And what led to the spectacular collapse of the Soviet Union? In this comprehensive guide to the most widespread

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780241696149
Format: Paper over boards
Year: 2025
Publisher: Penguin UK


Description:
A sweeping, original history of the Cold War, from an acclaimed historian of the USSR



Why did the Cold War erupt so soon after the Second World War? How did it escalate so rapidly, spanning five continents over six decades? And what led to the spectacular collapse of the Soviet Union?




In this comprehensive guide to the most widespread conflict in contemporary history, Vladislav Zubok traces the origins of the Cold War in post-war Europe, through the tumultuous decades of confrontation, to the fall of the Berlin Wall and beyond.




With remarkable clarity and unique perspective, Zubok argues that the Cold War, often seen as an existential battle between capitalist democracy and totalitarian communism, has long been misunderstood. He challenges the popular Western narrative that economic superiority and democratic values led the USA to victory. Instead, he looks beyond the familiar images of East-West rivalry, shining a light on the impact of non-Western actors and placing the war in the context of global decolonization, Soviet weakness and the accidents of history. Here, he interrogates what happens when stability and peace are no longer the default, when treaties are broken and when diplomacy ceases to function.




Drawing on years of research and informed by Zubok's three decades in the USSR followed by three decades in the West, The World of the Cold War paints a striking portrait of a world on the brink.