East, West, North, South: Major Developments in International Politics 1945-1990

By Geir Lundestad

Book Overview

This book offers a thorough, balanced, and insightful account of how Soviet-American antagonism developed, evolved, and still affects contemporary international relations. The author gives equal attention to divisions between the "developed" and "non-developed" worlds, a conflict that, at first, only sporadically intersected Soviet-American relations, and whose linkage to them is not always clear today. Topics covered include deterrence, economic development, arms control, and the projection of superpower influence in the world at large.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 8200213196
• ISBN13: 9788200213192
• Release Date: April 1992
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.6" x 0.8" x 6.2"

Customer Reviews

perhaps future editions should mention China more prominently?

Here is a recap of world history since 1945. Revolving around the Cold War. The focus is on the US-Soviet Union up to 1990, and on the US-Russia relations after that. The chapters are not in chronological order. Mainly because there is a chapter on decolonisation that fits awkwardly into the overall layout of the text. It is very difficult to write about world history in this time without splitting off various topics into different chapters, that span different times. The "North, South" of the title refers to the developed and developing countries. Despite this prominent equivalence to the "East, West" of the Cold War, only 2 chapters out of 12 are about north-south issues. This relative underplaying may be correct, given the overriding central aspect of the Cold War. China and its massive economic gains since 1979 gets relatively little discussion, and mostly in those 2 chapters on north-south. Future editions of this book might want to devote more space to China.

Brilliant summary, but lacks in depth.

Lundestad's book about world politics from 1945 to this day is a fairly complete summary of major events. His post-revisionist point of view does not disturb the objectivity of his work. However the book lacks in depth, and is first and foremost an introduction to the subject. Highly readeble and enjoyable.