Book Description
This definitive survey examines the impact of nuclear weaponry on national security issues. Written by an experienced author and founder of the Peace and Common Security Institute in Berkeley, California, this text describes how current nuclear dilemmas have developed out of past choices and events. The final chapter of this chronologically organized text covers events that took place from 1985-1991, making the material relevant to the post-Cold War era.
Book Description
What the Kremlin wanted during the Cold War—and what it was willing to do to get it.
Nikita Khrushchev was a leader who risked war to get peace during the most dangerous years of the twentieth century. In Khrushchev's Cold War, Aleksandr Fursenko and Timothy Naftali, authors of the Cuban missile crisis classic "One Hell of a Gamble," bring to life head-to-head confrontations between Khrushchev and Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. Drawing from their unrivaled access to Politburo and Soviet intelligence materials, they reveal for the first time three moments when Khrushchev's inner circle restrained him from plunging the superpowers into war. Combining new insights into the Cuban crisis, startling narratives on the hot spots of Suez, Iraq, Berlin, and Southeast Asia, and vivid portraits of leaders in the developing world who challenged Moscow and Washington—Castro, Lumumba, Nasser, and Mao—Khrushchev's Cold War provides one of the most gripping and authoritative studies of the crisis years of the Cold War. 16 pages of illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
More a book on foreign policy.......2007-06-29
Khrushchev was a fascinating character. He is one of the few Soviet leaders, which had humanity and warmth. If there is one issue that Khrushchev stands out for it is desalinization. I found it disappointing the book did not cover this part of him better. I would also have liked a more extensive section on the Soviet people and economy and how it affected his leadership.
However it is a terrific study of USSR's foreign policy during his era. While reading the book, It was surprising just how aggressive he was in his foreign policy. I had read it before but I thought that several cold war warriors (historians and politicians) were overdoing it. But it was interesting to read that they had not. His pressure tactics brought the world several times close to a major conflict and was the author of the closest call to a nuclear war that we ever had.
I look forward to Aleksandr Fursenko next book.
Nikita, the Wizard of Red Square.......2007-05-01
A solid history of the always probing, somewhat erratic, but ultimately war-adverse reign of Khrushchev during the 1950s and 60s. Those wanting to acquire direct insights into the thinking and motives of the leadership of the Kremlin during some of its most important Cold War confrontations with the U.S.--Suez, Berlin, Laos, and Cuba--should buy and read this book.
It is a wonder that a hot war was avoided when you are confronted by the authors, Fursenko and Naftali, with the gamesmanship, often played during this period in a vacum of real knowledge, on both sides of the Iron Curtin. It is a further wonder that the bankrupt political and economic system that was the USSR lasted as long as it did.
Khruschev - A most Amazing Mixture of Mercuriality and Idiosyncrasy Brought Vividly to Life.......2007-03-08
If - and that is a big if (the book is fully 600 pages long - it helps to fall ill when you read it - I did!) - you have the time and want to invest it for obtaining a first class overview over the great power play during the decade between 1955 and 1965 - the Khruschev era - this definitely is the book to read! Its authors not only provide a refreshingly new perspective to the (more or less well-) known events of, i.a., the first Israeli-Egyptian war, the (Soviet) occupation of Hungary and the Cuban missile crisis, they fully succeed in transforming this period of history into a most plausible and very exciting "story", in fact, into something of a "thriller" (in the best sense of the word). It is the story of a great power desperate to come up to its claim to possess or at least to be accorded equal status with the other - even greater - super-power, the United States or, more generally, the "West". In order to achieve that one goal, almost anything would do, even extreme brinkmanship that several times brought the world close to thermonuclear war. Khrushev is shown as a man to have carried within himself the dominating characteristics of the Soviet Union itself, viz., an enormous inferiority complex, trying to combine it with catching any opportunity that would present itself to bring pressure to bear on the other side, even using or better: threatening the use of force, wherever it seemed this might bring political advantage. Fortunately for the world, this mercurial leader who disposed of the means to blow up the world (or at least: great parts of it) was restrained enough (be it on his own reason, be it by his more risk-averse colleagues within the Presidium) not to actually let the world go "over the brink" but to withdraw each time at the last moment. It is the humiliation of these retreats as well as the sense of responsibility displayed by him in making them which, if anything, ultimately cost him his job and earns him the status of a statesman (rather than merely that of a cunning politician).
Against this background, only two - very minor - criticisms:
First, there is a really unwarranted "blank space" in the book as regards the European Economic Community (today`s "European Union") whose very creation was decisively triggered by some of the events described in it (Suez; Hungary), by making the European states mercilessly feel their own palsy vis-à-vis the super-powers. It is ironic - and should clearly have been mentioned in the book - to see how the very institution for whose creation Khruschev bore no minor responsibility - would become one of the cornerstones of the West's economic superiority and thus a decisive factor for the eventual downfall of the Soviet Empire.
Second, even though this would admittedly go slightly beyond the clear scope of the book (Khruschev's Cold War, restricting its topic to his role as politician), it might have been interesting for the reader to be permitted at least a brief peep behind the veil of this astounding politician's official role into his private life, if only to underpin/corroborate some of the conclusions regarding this most Mercurial character!
This leaves only one thing to be hoped for: at least I, for my part, am dying to read PART II: "The Breshnev Years", by the same authors, should it ever come out!
History in the Raw.......2007-03-07
Aleksandr Fursenko & Timothy Naftali's KHRUSHCHEV'S COLD WAR is an account of the major incidents of the Cold War from 1955-1964 told primarily from the Soviet (and specifically Khrushchev's) perspective. What distinguishes this book is that instead of relying on interviews and memoirs and third-party reporting, the authors have accessed contemporaneous notes and minutes taken at the meetings of the Politburo (Presidium), that handful of men who actually made the decisions guiding Soviet policy during this time. In other words, they get their data straight from the horse's mouth, untainted with revision and wishful thinking.
This makes for startling reading. For those of us used to seeing history in broad terms as a somewhat logical result of competing forces (political, military, moral, economic and cultural), this book provides a bucket of icy water in the face. The drivers of policy were all too often not reasonable responses to existing circumstances but irrational, thoughtless, ill-considered and unrealistic reactions based on hubris, petulance and plain stupidity. Khrushchev was clueless (perhaps we already suspected this). But so too was the entire Politburo (less predictable). And so too were the Western leaders--de Gaulle and Eden in particular; Adenauer also; Ike and JFK come through a little better, although far from unscathed.
This last is especially troubling. In authoritarian regimes thugs and idiots rise naturally to the top, but in developed Western democracies the system should inculcate a certain rationality in leadership, something mandated by the need to respond to the will of the electorate.
Which of course brings us to today. The Suez debacle and Iraq have obvious parallels. The incredible operational incompetence of the Soviets in building the missile sites before getting the weapons to Cuba (thus allowing the blockade) makes one think of the removal of troops from Afghanistan for the Iraq war, right when we had the Taliban cornered. The poor quality of intelligence brings to mind our own failures (WMD in Iraq, apart from others). And the consistent inability of Khrushchev to judge the consequences of his policies, as well as the failure of the remaining Soviet leadership to check or challenge him, brings to mind the current administration and the entire post-War Iraq strategy.
In this book, the blunders were Soviet (or English of French). Today, they are ours.
An outstanding achievement.......2007-02-21
The book is very detailed and examines the critical 1955 to 1963 period of the Cold War largely from the viewpoint of the Soviets. The authors had access to documents not before released, including minutes of the Presidium meetings. The authors portray the Soviet leadership in a new light with most members of the Politburo seeking to avoid any conflict with the United States and unwilling to follow Khrushchev on his more dangerous adventures in Cuba and Egypt. It is evident that neither the Soviets nor the communist block were unified in seeking world domination. Rather, the communist leaders were largely constrained by the same political concerns as American leaders. There is also very interesting information towards the end regarding the CIA's role in bringing the Baath party to power in Iraq.
Average customer rating:
- bonecrushingly slanted, I get the message
- Excellent photography, butý.
- Absolutely Unforgettable
- Wonderful
- Broken Empire, Broken Dreams
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Broken Empire : After the Fall of the USSR
Fen Montaigne
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0792264320
Release Date: 2001-11-01 |
Book Description
On December 25, 1991, at 7:35 p.m., soldiers lowered the red Soviet flag flying over the Kremlin and raised the Russian tri-color in its place. The moment passed without pomp or circumstance, resulting in a strangely muted end to a regime that had, in many ways, defined the 20th century.
Christmas 2001 is the tenth anniversary of the demise of the Soviet Union. To commemorate the event, National Geographic presents a mesmerizing retrospective that captures all the turbulence of Russia's new beginning.
With 120 extraordinary photographs by Gerd Ludwig and incisive essays by Fen Montaigne, Broken Empire captures Russia in all its complexity. The book examines not only the fledgling country's notorious corruption and poverty—the only aspects of Russia covered by most Western media—but many lesser known facets, including the rise of a new urban generation committed to building a prosperous society. Taking us into the daily lives of Russians, from entrepreneurs to pensioners, Broken Empire's images and words come together to capture as no book ever has the poignant resilience of a country endeavoring to find a workable middle road between capitalism and state control.
Customer Reviews:
bonecrushingly slanted, I get the message.......2005-04-26
astonishingly shocking at times and bland at others, is this the Russia of modern day or is this the image the author sees? Certainly the latter and probably not the former. Wonder how the people of Russia feel about this commentary in pictures on their existence? Bleak and disheartening comes to mind. Could a similar tome be assembled on America...of course if one looks hard enough at any topic the horror can be visualized.
Excellent photography, butý........2003-01-19
Gerd Ludwig photography is first-class but I wish written text had been as creative as the photographer's eye. Nothing to discredit the author, Fen Montaigne. But Fen, must you be so boring and bland. A single image captured a thousand words and your text was a dreadful mono-tone grounded in a yawning choice of vocabulary.
If your looking for images and insight text read "The Home Planet" by Kevin W Kelley. Two different subject matters, but the written text illustrates where this book went astray.
Absolutely Unforgettable.......2002-01-09
Broken Empire leaves an indelible mark on the memory. This stunning work presents a passionate and proud people, ravaged by the merciless process of political change. The book's coverage of the effect on the Russian environmental landscape alone, makes this a documentary of great importance. But most unforgettable, are the images which capture the entire spectrum of human experience that the nation's new self-image has imposed - from humiliation and despair, to dignity and triumph of the spirit against all odds - making this work an uncompromising testament to the historic realities of post-communistic Russia.
Wonderful.......2002-01-09
Contrary to the cover image of the book, this work clearly takes the blindfolds off in delivering a superb body of photographic work.
I have been traveling to the former Soviet Union now for the past twenty-five years and have always been surprised by how ignorant the world was about this marvelous nation. Ludwig clearly has an intimate feel for the soul of this great world. The images breathe and display the majesty of this people and empire wonderfully, warts and all. This is not a tragic populace, but a noble collection of races and groups who share a common pride, humanism and patriotism with a unique perspective and outlook on life that is both refreshing and vital.
I thought that the Western world would never get it right about the great land and her people, but Ludwig's masterpiece clearly and artfully reveals the nuances of an emerging colossus whose rightful place in history, commerce, politics, art and culture is assured by its dogged determinism to continue, to live, to strive to express the essence that is "Mother Russia".
And to do all of this with photography...what an achievement!!
Broken Empire, Broken Dreams.......2001-12-31
An incredible journey through the remains of the former Soviet Union both in pictures and words. Broken Empire puts the lie to the "Workers Paradise" promised by the USSR's once all-powerful communist regime, revealing the harsh realities of environmental and spiritual decay left in its wake. The images are dazzling and heartbreaking. A must see and read book for anyone who loves truth.
JH
Average customer rating:
- terrible writing style, ok content
- Generally a good overview
- Student Review
- Not bad
- An excellent overview
|
Russia, America and the Cold War, 1949-1991 (2nd Edition) (Seminar Studies in History Series)
Martin McCauley
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0582784824 |
Customer Reviews:
terrible writing style, ok content.......2005-07-13
This book might merit two stars but certainly not more. There are a couple critical problems:
1) Writing Style - McCauley writes like a non-native English speaker and there is noticeable lack of editing. Many common expressions are slightly mis-used or missing prepositions or occaisionally whole words in phrases are missing. I find that this significantly slows down my reading because I mentally say "huh?" and re-read sentences that didn't appear to be correct the first time. McCauley also randomly lumps un-related issues together with no transitions; there will be a paragraph on Russian arms treaty negotation that trails off into a discussion of the Russian economy. Obviously the reader could infer that this might be relevant because poor economic performance incentivized Russia to reduce arms spending but it is never clear in these small instances why McCauley lumps various issues together.
2) Not a very good standalone book - This book might be ok used in conjunction with another textbook but if you aren't already familiar with Soviet government structure or many minor political figures in the USSR and client states you won't learn anything about them here.
3) Organization - this partly relates to what I said above; McCauley frequently drops mention of relatively minor political figures with no introduction. In addition, he writes with a strange mix of repeating, overlapping chronologies. He'll discuss a 10 year period of history rather thoroughly and then discuss it all over again with respect to another issue. This is difficult to avoid in this sort of work but he does it less transparently than a good author should.
4) Poor indexing job - in the age of computer indexing systems I don't really know how you can mess this up so badly - there are a number of figures mentioned in the book who do not appear in the index. This is annoying when you want to see if McCauley introduced a particular person earlier before assuming you knew about them (don't worry, he probably didn't).
Overall this book gives the impression that it was written by a smart person in about 2 days with little editing. It is not up to the standards of this series and certainly doesn't provide the depth of perspectives you would expect from a college level seminar.
Generally a good overview.......2005-04-22
Studying for my exams, this book gives a pretty good overview of the Cold War and the significant events that took place, all at a good pace. By moving chronologically and according to the different stages of the CW (as sectioned), it makes it easier to comprehend some of the periods where the tension increased all the way to the fall of the SU. Generally it was a good, informative read, and not to mention, entertaining at points- I found out that "the greatest disappointment for Khrushchev was that his ardent desire to visit Disneyland was frustrated- the Americans said they could not guarantee his safety". Furthermore, the book also includes a chronology, several documents from the period, and answers some questions which may be worth pondering over when dealing with the subject.
Student Review.......2005-02-06
As a student taking a first year University course in which this book is an assigned text, I have to say: there must be a textbook that is less boring than this one. In terms of facts, this book is great. Style-wise, it is enough to lull one to sleep. Best read in sections, carefully, closely, and with attention to detail so one doesn't have to read this book more than once, I would strongly suggest to any teacher or professor considering this as a text to supplement it with something that has a radically different style. Perhaps something with historical accounts intercut with the actual text rather than documents tacked on at the end. Just my opinion of course. :)
Not bad.......2001-02-06
A good overview of the main events of this period: if you're just generally curious about the Cold War and what the main events and trends in it were, this is quite suitable. However, the sheer brevity of the format of this series of books (and 'Seminar Studies' is very good, believe me) works against a fully fleshed-out account of this topic. There are mentions of certain events but they lack a little background needed to explain them. I kept finding myself reading some remark and thinking 'But *why* did that happen?'. Still, a good read, and well-explained.
An excellent overview.......2000-04-25
As an AP American Hisitory teacher, I was looking for a concise book that would give my students a good overview of the Cold War. This turned out to be an excellent book, well suited for my purpose. I have my students read three books over the summer as they prepare for my class, this was one of the three. McCauley gives a concise account of the Cold War, starting with the Berlin crisis of 1948 and ending with the fall of the Soviet Union. His chronological framework to the book takes the reader through some very difficult sernerios for the United States. McCauley starts off with some background material, giving the reader eight theories about the reasons for the Cold War, some give the reader many interesting things to think about as they go through the book. McCauley then goes through the Cold War and breaks it down into five generalized time periods. This makes it easier for students that may not know much about the time period to understand the Cold War. McCauley ends the book by asking seven challanging questions for the reader to ponder. This gives the reader a chance to digest the information and helps the reader come to some interesting conclusions. The sixteen documents that McCauley provides also gives the readers of the book different ideas and causes as well as consequences of the Cold War that may have been missed in this short but excellent overview of the Cold War.
Book Description
Rodric Braithwaite was British ambassador to Moscow during the critical years of perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the failed coup of August 1991, and the rise of Boris Yeltsin. With his long experience of Russia, on good personal terms with Mikhail Gorbachev, he was in a privileged position close to the center of Russia's changing relationship with the West.
This frank and engrossing book gives an intimate account of momentous change and the people who drove it. As the Soviet Empire fell apart a demoralized army crept home from Afghanistan, Eastern Europe, and the outlying parts of the Soviet Union itself. Against the opposition of the generals, Gorbachev and his allies struggled to modernize and democratize a system that had already reached the point of terminal decay. The apex of the drama came in August 1991 when a gang of generals, politicians, and secret policemen sought-by storming Moscow's White House-to reverse the course of history.
Customer Reviews:
Superb! The Iron Lady's Ambassador to Moscow........2002-12-23
This was a wonderful book! Fresh, fast-paced, fascinating and immensely funny. The author was Maggie Thatcher's man in Moscow, he has an intimate knowledge of the Russian people and a great deal of experience in-country. His English humor (humour?) makes this book not just a chronicle of events, but a real gem. Examples...when visiting Kiev, he is invited to visit the musuem of UFO's which includes an exhibit of foot long iron bar munching rats from outer space, Ambasador Braithwaite dryly comments that although he would love to attend, he just can't seem to fit it into his schedule. When Moscow Radio plays excerpts from Pushkin in the throes of the 1991 aborted coup, he comments--who else but the Russians would air poetry at such a time? About half the length of Jack Matlock's epic "Anatomy on an Empire", (his colleague and apparent twin in the minds of the Russian people) Braithwaite's book is more accesible, and given in a lively style. While I do not agree 100% with all of his analysis, I do find this a supberb book and a must have for anyone who wants a Westerner's guide to understanding Russia.
Book Description
A sobering assessment of American foreign policy from the end of the Vietnam era to Ronald Reagan.
With the same uncompromising style that characterized his breakthrough, Vietnam-era writings, Toward a New Cold War extends Chomsky's critique of US foreign policy through the early 1970s to Ronald Reagan's first term. Expanding on themes such as the cozy relationship of intellectuals to the state, and American adventurism after World War II, Chomsky goes on to exaamine the way that US policymakers set about the task of rewriting the horrible history of involvement in Indochina and turned their attention more squarely on the Middle East and Central America. He assesses US oil strategy and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, dissects the first volume of Henry Kissinger's memoirs, issues an urgent call to stem the bloodshed in then-unknown East Timor and, in the title essay, marks the increased posture of confrontation and rearmament under presidents Carter and Reagan that signaled the end of détente with the Soviet Union.
Featuring a new introduction by internationally acclaimed journalist John Pilger, this is the latest in the New Press series of Noam Chomsky's early political works.
Customer Reviews:
Very strong alternative views but there are ethical assumptions underlying the book that affect the evidence and presentation........2005-08-23
I am not sure why one reviewer thought this was a Soviet apologist. This book argues that America, and Russia, interceded in essentially indigenous conflicts for non-ideological reasons. Business interests are the main culprit, so Chomsky says, though this book is not about tracing the strategies of specific corporations. There is bias however. As a typical example, the sections dealing with Israel in 1956-76 fails to properly credit participation from external forces; France and Britain are marginalized in the book and Russia is a rare mention. Accordingly, the business motivation thesis is not balanced against other motivations such as fear of Communism, or a desire for a stable world order that benefits America.
This book, however, is still worth getting for its examination of American intellectuals and for its corrections against mainstream notions that today are taken for granted. And unlike many authors, Chomsky does not hide his bias and his underlying moralities are honestly expressed.
By the way, this is a heavily annotated book so even if you disagree with him you will be able to disagree substantively.
A different prospective.......2004-07-22
This book gives alternative interpretation of causes and effects of US foreign policy in contrast to a popular held view. Author's research in general is very thorough and in many cases followed up first hand. Nonetheless the arguments are not constructed in a way to "convince a non believer" or to refute popular view point by point. The arguments are constructed to present author's view with ample references to start you off on verifying his facts on your own if you wish to do so. Paraphrasing author, he does not tend to convince, but rather help open up reader's mind to alternate possibilities in contrast to populist opinions.
With regard to the contents of the book, I have to say, it is critical of US foreign policy to say the least. He is far from being "an apologist for communist regimes" as his harshest critics attribute to him. Rather he holds a view that means that US uses to achieve its foreign policy goals could be much less violent and considerate of foreign country?s population?s will. He also exposes and questions the moral validity of certain US goals that are not commonly in a public view.
An outdated collection of essays.......2003-12-22
When I picked this up I thought it was a book explaining how America's war on terror was bringing it into a `new cold war' with Islam. Unfortunately that was not the case. This book is a collection of essays from times gone by, from the greatest of the critique's, Mr. Chomsky. This book details a myriad of subjects, boldly among them the steamship like memorandum on why Mr. Carter and Mr. Reagan were creating a `new cold war.' The essay was written in the 80s. Days after the essay was written the Soviet Union collapsed and the cold war ended, forever. That fact alone should doom this book to obscurity but the other essays are more fascinating, including the interest in East Timor, which would not grace the American media for more then a decade and other essays on a vast array of Subjects. An interesting volume but the work is heavily outdated. For a soldier of Chomskyism this book will be another wind in the willows to add to the library and it is a must buy, in fact it will make a wonderful gift for any Chomsky lover. For those interested in Chomsky's take on the current geopolitical struggle, this book will be very disappointing.
US foreign policy in the 1970s.......2003-11-19
This is a reprint of a book from 1982. It's a collection of essays and articles dating from 1973 to 1981. After a lengthy introduction (which could be published as a short book all by itself), Chomsky uses the first four chapters to examine the way the media covers up US imperialism. Picking up after his famous essay, "The Responsibility of Intellectuals," he examines the complicity of journalists, editorialists, and other writers in making excuses for a murderous foreign policy. His remarks mention dozens of specific cases, naming names and quoting their morally repugnant words. You'll either laugh or cry when you see how war crimes such as the bombing of Cambodia were "explained" by the most prestigious writers in the country.
But his focus is also generalized --- he compares these people to the commisars of the Soviet Union, showing that in any country (democratic or otherwise), serving state policy is the only way to rise to the top. After reading the first four chapters, you'll feel a sense of recognition. I guess we always suspected that this is how the media *really* works.
Chapter 5 is co-authored with Edward S. Herman. Herman is the principal author of one of Chomsky's best-known books, Manufacturing Consent. (They teamed up together in 1979 to write The Political Economy of Human Rights, in two volumes. He's written a few important books himself, including The Real Terror Network.) This chapter continues in the vein of the first four, concentrating on the way the media and scholars rewrote the history of the Vietnam war. As with the previous chapters, dozens of specific examples are given, creating a broad picture of modern propaganda techniques.
From there, Chomsky goes on to review Henry Kissinger's memoirs, conflict in the Middle East, the role of the US in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and (finally) a brilliant chapter on East Timor (written after the Indonesian invasion was in full swing).
I urge you to read this book. It paints a detailed portrait of consistency in US foreign policy. Intellectuals will insist that each invasion of each country is a unique moment in history, but Chomsky's meticuluous study shows the common threads. This book can be overwhelming at times in its endless parade of facts, but the effect is liberating. When you're done reading it, you'll feel that some light has been shed on what's really going on in the world.
Customer Reviews:
Detailed but largely unsatisfying analysis.......2001-03-05
Although very dated at this point, with no consideration given to the crucial 1995 military operations in Croatia and then Bosnia and the ensuing Dayton Accords in a revised and updated edition, "Balkan Tragedy" is still a somewhat useful source because it provides considerable in-depth analysis of the underlying economic and structural causes of Yugoslavia's break-up. Woodward also tries to broaden the scope of her analysis to consider the ways in which the wider international context influenced events in the former Yugoslavia and even fomented their intensification. However, while this approach does clarify many events that occurred after the wars in Croatia and Bosnia had already begun, Woodward does not quite succeed in providing completely credible explanations for the actual origins of the Yugoslav crisis. Despite the hefty text, extensive research and copious footnotes, one can't escape the feeling that Woodward's approach is at times piecemeal (to paraphrase her former boss, the tragicomical Yasushi Akashi), primarily when dealing with the international players (from the IMF to the EU and U.S. State Department) who she insists bear a great deal of the responsibility for the Yugoslav tragedy. For while she often provides detailed explanations of the political and economic factors and pressures at play within the former Yugoslavia and their impact on decision-making and political events (which often seems to exonerate the various Yugoslav leaders of their culpability for concrete abuses of power and war crimes), she does not similarly analyze the economic/structural aspects and motivations guiding the foreign policies of the various outside powers which could have and eventually did influence Yugoslav events - even though her approach would seem to demand such consideration. Regardless of the degree of complicity of international players in the Yugoslav tragedy (and it was great), the prime responsibility for the political breakdown and course of Yugoslavia's dissolution lies with the various post-Yugoslav leaders (some more than others). After all, they made the decisions on how to respond to and/or manipulate international (primarily economic) pressures and domestic (often nationalistic) tensions, and this is not made sufficiently clear in Woodward's book.
A medicinal pill for the effortlessly righteous.......1999-12-16
The book sometimes hides its thesis behind detail, and is not easy to follow. It was finished for the press before the Croat offensive of Spring 1995, and loses some perspective in consequence. Hence only four stars! It is very thoroughly researched (not just full of footnotes), and it is one of the very few books on the Bosnian war which doesn't simply pick heroes and villains - which has, of course, led to it being denounced as pro-Serb. Woodward's main line is that the basis of conflict was 'the economy, stupid'. Successive blunders in the terms of IMF loans, and misjudged changes in the federal constitution, set the constituent republics against each other. Misunderstanding of the issues (and German/Austrian favouritism to Balkan clients) led the European powers into grossly unprincipled and utopian interventions. The federation was levered apart, while preserving intact the constituent republics. This was a 'solution' to the wrong set of problems. The United States, continually encouraging the Bosnian Muslims to wait for the NATO fairy to rescue them (it didn't), completed the sorry work of war-making - though this last element is better documented elsewhere (e.g. in Rose's _Fighting for Peace_). I don't agree with all of the author's opinions. In particular, I think national allegiances run deeper and history is more relevant than she wants to believe. But it is a serious attempt to rescue this piece of contemporary history from self-indulgent moral one-upmanship and propaganda saturation. If only Woodward could write as well as Ivo Banac!
Excellent, balanced, scholarly analysis of the Balkan wars.......1999-10-27
Excellent, balanced, credible and more importantly- SCHOLARLY analysis of the Balkan conflicts. Woodward's in-depth study blows away the simplistic answers other writers have offered to solving the extremely complex problems in the region. A good critique of current US foreign policy in the former Yugoslavia. Can't wait for her next book!
Lots of good information, poorly presented........1999-10-22
I read this book at the recommendation of a Yugoslav friend who says he agrees with 95% of what the author says, as opposed to agreeing with only about 5% of most other books on the subject. I'm glad I read the book-- she gives you loads of good data-- but she has a lousy writing style and manages to make a fascinating subject pretty dull. You have to be really determined to learn about Yugoslavia, or you won't make it through the book. Also, don't try it unless you already have a good basic grasp of the area's history and the general outline of events in past ten years or so.
No Thesis.......1999-05-13
A book with no thesis that fails to offer any new insight into the Balkan War.
Book Description
The epic, courageous, and disastrous untold stories of the submarine war between the U.S. and the Soviets, through the eyes of the Russian admirals who commanded the submarine fleet.
For devotees of submarine espionage such as Blind Man's Bluff, Rising Tide tells the Soviet/ Russian side of the most secretive operations of the Cold War. For the first time, seven Russian admirals with decades of experience on submarines or commanding fleets give us the inside stories as told to leading naval historian Dr. Gary Weir. They detail the undersea successes, such as the surveillance of U.S. submarines leaving Puget Sound, and the innovative techniques Russia developed to trail the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. They reveal the development of the first nuclear submarines, and the internecine battles among Soviet bureaucrats that led to the deaths of many Russian sailors. And they give firsthand accounts of deadly events, such as the sinking of the K-219 off Bermuda and the collision of the U.S.S. Tautog and the Soviet K-108, including unpublished photos of the incident's aftermath. Rising Tide also reveals the many catastrophes and the occasional heroic rescues in the Soviet submarine fleet, and answers many questions surrounding the sensational loss of the Kursk in August 2000.
Covering submarines from the first advanced diesel subs in the 1950s to the Kursk in 2000, with the authority only senior naval officials can deliver, Rising Tide is the complete story of the Soviet side of the gripping, secret life of the submariners in the Cold War.
Rising Tide tells the story of one of the most important technological contests in human history, and does so in a gripping, exciting narrative.
Customer Reviews:
In Defense of a Decision.......2007-03-25
Rummaging through the reviews, I see many criticisms that basically say the Russian first-person testimony should be diluted with a flood of other (mostly American) opinions to "round it out".
I would, however, argue that it was a good decision. For one thing, the book is very short and as other critics have mentioned, there wasn't enough space for everything as it is. He can only concentrate on something, and in this case he decided to go for what the front-line Captains had to say.
Another factor is that the testimony could not afford to be further double-crossed. The book's primary targets are people who have been indoctrinated by Tom Clancy (whose reach is worldwide) and American submariner community into believing American sub invulnerability. If he allows the undercut, he might as well not write the book because 99% of the readership will just believe the American version.
A very good example of why NOT undercut is in Nathan Alexander's review. This is how most of the readership was probably indoctrinated. No need to increase the indoctrination depth further, methinks.
Objectively, are the Americans the best sources? The book reveals (in the few undercuts it allowed in the endnotes) that Soviet Captains make computations assuming that American sonar is at LEAST equal to theirs, while American captains go from the assumption they have a vast superiority. The latter assumption will likely lead to a large number of false negatives in guessing whether the Soviets counterdetected them - interpretations which will be enshrined in reports (and later books) and become "fact", which enhance this assumption...cycle repeats. This whole problem is so severe even Tom Clancy decided to write about it obliquely in the Sum of All Fears (see my review of that too).
As for the spelling mistakes, must say they don't bother me much.
An impressive effort but..........2007-02-02
I really wanted to give this 3.5 stars but because I can't I've gone for four stars as anyone with an interest in submarines and/or the Cold War really should read this book. Based around the potted memoirs of several Russian submarine officers, the authors offer an alternative view to books such as the excellent Blind Man's Bluff. Considering what the Russian, sorry, Soviet submariners had to deal with in terms of politics within and beyond the Navy, shoddy, passing-the-buck workmanship (in constructing and repairing the boats) and a general technological lag behind their Western counterparts, what they achieved needs to be more widely known. This book goes some way toward doing this.
However, I have to admit that I did find myself questioning some of the claims made by the submariners. There was no major argument against their claims and they were largely taken as gospel. Fair enough, I suppose, considering this is a book revealing the Cold War exploits of the "evil empire". A major criticism I did have was that Appendix 2, detailing specifications of various Soviet and US submarines, neglected to list three of the classes that featured heavily throughout the book - the Soviet "Alfa" class and US "Los Angeles" and "Sturgeon" classes. I found these omissions surprising considering the types' role in the Cold War battles under the sea. Small potatoes really as these specifications can be readily found elsewhere. It just seemed odd not to see them there!
Appendix 1, however, is an excellent potted history of the Russian/Soviet Navy. So, although there's a few things that might get the reader thinking "Hang on, what about...", this book goes some of the way to filling the hole in learning about what the other side did during the Cold War. Brave men one and all those who sail beneath the ocean.
Silent Reds.......2006-02-21
Very good book giving the side of the Soviet "Silent Service" during the cold war. Obviously edited to some extent, but not so bad that you can't fill in the blanks if you have a cold war submarine background. Very interesting points of view on what the Red Sub's were trying to do to us as we were doing to them.
Interesting, inaccurate, can't spell.......2006-02-12
Interesting. Obviously the author became good friends with some Russian submariners, and of course, that is the inside story. So, for that reason, especially if you find it on the $3.33/copy bargain shelf (as I did), do buy it. There will probably never be another book published in the West, based on such interviews.
Inaccurate. Opinions of former Soviet submariners, no matter how "nice" or enthusiastic they are, should not be taken as a fact, especially when numerous other sources contradict them. So, as a source of "oral history", it is a great book ... but should be taken with a grain of salt. Other reviewers before me went into the details...
Can't spell... The mis-spellings are there on almost every page, whether related to a place name, a submarine type, or an acronym. Just a small example, so I don't waste the reader's time by the hundreds of errors: The so-called GIUK Gap is an important place in the history of Cold War submarine operations (and even today0. It refers to the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap (two relatively narrow sea passages), well guarded by Western anti-submarine forces. The abbreviation, as "GIUK" makes geographic sense, but "GUIK" does not. Yet, the authors have both on the same page, referring to the same place. Many of the mis-spellings may be low-cost type setting errors, but even so...some are definitely not.
Recommendation: buy it if you can find it on the bargain rack...
Flawed facts mar good story.......2006-02-04
The concept was great. The execution leaves a little to be desired. It is obvious that Mr. Weir is an apologists for the Soviet Navy and tends to view much of what the submarine force did as nothing short of god-like, while the American effort was lacking and far behind the Soviets. Mr. Weir's pronouncement that Soviet subs habitually tracked American Ohio Class SSBNs is so ludicrious that it is beyond flawed research. The Ohio class SSBN has never been successfully tracked by an foreign submarine force and probably never will be. Mr. Weir also states that Soviet ICBMs were more accurate that the American versions is also absurd. Data released after the Cold War ended, as well as data collected during tests of the Soviet missles conclusively proves that the Soviet missiles were very inaccurate as well as had the annoying tendency to explode when fueled prior to launch. It seems that Mr. Weir was far more gullible when it came to what the Soviet submarine commanders had to tell him. I guess he didn't bother to check his facts, assuming that the Soviets would never exaggerate. It's too bad, really. The stories told in the book concerning the more personal aspects of the numerous mishaps of Soviet nuclear boats and the drive to produce a vital, powerful submarine force is well worth reading. Just don't beliece everything you read.
Book Description
Stephen Kotkin charts the collapse of the Soviet Union, one of the key developments in recent history, and analyzes why it happened. He examines the internal structural, cultural and political reasons for the demise both of the Communist system and of the Union, drawing on memoirs and documents of the senior figures involved, including Ligachev, Gorbachev and Yeltsin, as well as on the burgeoning secondary literature. The book puts the Soviet collapse in the context of the global economic changes from the 1970s to the present day, examining why the advent of Siberian oil at a time of shortage elsewhere had profound and long-term effects on the Soviet Union's raison d'etre.
Customer Reviews:
Book explains why the Soviet Union did not collapse amid a violent convulsion.......2007-09-06
The author's goal in this book, as he states in the introduction, is to explain why the Soviet Union did not erupt into a violent convulsion upon its collapse. Multi-ethnic empires rarely break apart without violent upheavel. Yet this one did. If your goal is to find out why this is happened this is a book you must read. Written by a leading scholar of the Soviet Union.
almost perfect.......2007-08-21
This is the best historical narrative I had ever read on the subject. It does jingle very well with my own recollections about this period. It is informative with a lot details.
According to Mr.Kotkin the final stages of the collapse were two-fold: first commie-romantic-idiot Gorbachev destroyed whatever was remaining of the existing system while trying to improve it, and then the Soviet elite saw better prospects in joining Eltsin in finishing it off instead of fighting for its meager spoils.
There are a few amusing/annoying/bizarre parts. First, Mr.Kotkin seems genuinely upset that the system did not even try to use its repressive powers to preserve itself. Second, the author could not accept the actions of Soviet elite as reasonable and often goes into incoherent ramblings condemning all parties including his fellow sovietologists.
But again, these are all very minor blemishes, and they are clearly separated from presented narrative, which is simply superb in my view.
Good, Concise History of the Soviet Collapse.......2006-11-22
Stephen Kotkin's "Armageddon Averted" is a good, concise history of the Soviet collage from 1970-2000. Kotkin has two themes that he repeatedly touches on: 1) that the Soviet system collapsed from within and 2) that the collapse was remarkably peaceful. Kotkin's work is very good, although at only 200 pages, it is a cursory account of the Soviet collapse.
Kotkin focuses almost entirely on the Soviet system's inner workings. He describes how the Soviet system was destined to collapse from within and would have collapsed earlier had oil prices not increased in the 1970s, allowing the Soviet Union to continue to finance itself. Only with the coming of the new generation - Gorbachev - did anyone in the Soviet leadership have the courage to realize that the system must be changed. However, when Gorbachev tried to save the Soviet Union by liberalizing part of society, he set loose powers and forces and quickly lost control of the country.
It was at this point, Kotkin argues, that the real miracle occurred: while the Soviet Union had used military force to keep Hungary and Czechoslovakia in its sphere, and had an entire security apparatus that had perfected the police state, the Soviet dissolution was almost completely bloodless. The Soviet leadership (or reactionaries in the government) did not crack down on its own citizens, and neither did it lash out at the rest of the world in either a conventional world designed to foment nationalism nor launch a spiteful nuclear strike.
This is a very good book, but it is lacking on details. Kotkin's writes from the perspective of a textbook, making sweeping statements and broad generalizations without much supporting argument. The book also lacks any personal look at the fall of the Soviet Union (other than occasional anecdotes about the leadership), unlike the excellent (but very different) "Lenin's Tomb." Kotkin also completely dismisses any credit to the United States or any other foreign power or policy for the Soviet collapse. Despite these drawbacks, though, this is an excellent book for anyone interested in Soviet/Russian history, modern history, or political science and foreign policy.
Good book, but Kotkin Does Not Answer the Question.......2006-09-25
Kotkin attempts to answer how the Soviet Union and its empire could quickly and quietly implode - a bewildering topic indeed. He posits that Soviet leadership fossilized beginning with the drooling Brezhnev followed by other barely breathing leaders. He does an excellent job explaining how the disunion got started in Gorbachev's reforms, but fails to answer why no Soviet elites stopped him, or later, stopped Yeltsin.
When Gorbachev took over a moribund system, he had a real and abiding commitment to 'socialism with a human face'. He believed the Soviet system could be reformed and set about seriously pursuing reform through perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness). As it turned out, Gorbachev was wrong, the system could not be reformed.
The interesting point here is why didn't Gorbachev or, if not him, a reactionary coup leader use the might of the Soviet army and the KGB to put down by force what could not be stopped by reason. It is understandable why Gorbachev let Eastern Europe go; the Russians could not afford the empire any longer, but why let the system fall apart at home without a fight?
Would state violence have worked? Maybe, maybe not, but why wasn't it tried? Kotkin explains why Gorbachev started the process much better than he explains the lack of forceful response by the elites before it was too late. The August 1991 coup led to Yeltsin's ascension and sealed Gorbachev's demise, but again, why did the generals order the troops to return to the barracks without shooting down the forces that were destroying the Soviet empire?
Kotkin does a great job in the first part of the book describing the ossification of the Soviet empire, the late Cold War, and Gorbachev's rise. Kotkin also originally disputes standard Western views of what the economic 'reform' really was and was not. He also does a decent job explaining why 'reform' didn't really work (the same elite who ran the socialist system was also in charge of dismantling it.) His description of the later period leading up to and under Putin is disjointed. All in all, a good book, but Kotkin never really explains why the Empire faded meekly away rather going out in a firestorm of violence.
History's Truths Revealed.......2005-12-25
Kotkin is a first rate historian who dispenses with the slogans, cliches, and jingoism that often cloud Soviet studies. Armageddon Averted is superbly titled and succinctly written. The author takes less than 200 pages of text to explain the ending collapse of the U.S.S.R. - the "death agony of an entire world comprising non-market economies and anti-liberal institutions." It's a pleasure to read history that so elegantly summarizes complex and world changing events without mischaracterizing them. Many "experts" not only failed to anticipate the changes that occurred, but subsequently gave the wrong reasons for them. Kotkin's breadth and depth of knowledge allow him to avoid such blunders. Most highly recommended. Additional plusses are the Notes and Further Reading sections. The naysayers below seem to have axes to grind that cloud their "reviews."
Average customer rating:
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Chronology of the Cold War at Sea 1945-1991
Eric Wertheim ,
Andrew H. Bahjat , and
Bruce Watson
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
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ASIN: 155750685X |
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