Published in 1999, the first edition of this work is now revised and enhanced with supplementary information that became available during the past two decades because of archival declassifications and new historical, political, social, and cultural interpretations of the Cold War. Accessing the primary-source historical documents along with new records has become feasible in different countries, and the communist era is being revisited by scholars worldwide. This second expanded edition by historians Smith (Univ. of Exeter, UK) and Davis (Bronx Community College) includes references to recent historical research and writings that shed new light on the 1945–91 period. The authors' introduction explores the origins of the Cold War; the major players; the parties; the political and military figures and strategies involved; their mission, goals, and objectives; and the collapse of a system that reached a global impact and significance with consequences that will continue to mark the 21st century. The year-by-year chronology is followed by alphabetical entries featuring civilian or military leaders, politicians, and countries the conflict affected. An essay discussing the variety of sources included and their contribution to Cold War historiography precedes the ample bibliography. This second edition augments college and academic library collections supporting historical research in political sciences and foreign relations and in Slavic, Eastern European, and Soviet studies. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers.
Authors Joseph Smith and Simon Davis have captured the essence and madness of the ‘balance of terror’ of the Cold War in the second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Cold War.... This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about this crucial period in history and is appropriate for high school, community college, university, and public libraries.
American Reference Books Annual
Published in 1999, the first edition of this work is now revised and enhanced with supplementary information that became available during the past two decades because of archival declassifications and new historical, political, social, and cultural interpretations of the Cold War. Accessing the primary-source historical documents along with new records has become feasible in different countries, and the communist era is being revisited by scholars worldwide. This second expanded edition by historians Smith (Univ. of Exeter, UK) and Davis (Bronx Community College) includes references to recent historical research and writings that shed new light on the 1945–91 period. The authors' introduction explores the origins of the Cold War; the major players; the parties; the political and military figures and strategies involved; their mission, goals, and objectives; and the collapse of a system that reached a global impact and significance with consequences that will continue to mark the 21st century. The year-by-year chronology is followed by alphabetical entries featuring civilian or military leaders, politicians, and countries the conflict affected. An essay discussing the variety of sources included and their contribution to Cold War historiography precedes the ample bibliography. This second edition augments college and academic library collections supporting historical research in political sciences and foreign relations and in Slavic, Eastern European, and Soviet studies. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers.
Published in 1999, the first edition of this work is now revised and enhanced with supplementary information that became available during the past two decades because of archival declassifications and new historical, political, social, and cultural interpretations of the Cold War. Accessing the primary-source historical documents along with new records has become feasible in different countries, and the communist era is being revisited by scholars worldwide. This second expanded edition by historians Smith (Univ. of Exeter, UK) and Davis (Bronx Community College) includes references to recent historical research and writings that shed new light on the 1945–91 period. The authors' introduction explores the origins of the Cold War; the major players; the parties; the political and military figures and strategies involved; their mission, goals, and objectives; and the collapse of a system that reached a global impact and significance with consequences that will continue to mark the 21st century. The year-by-year chronology is followed by alphabetical entries featuring civilian or military leaders, politicians, and countries the conflict affected. An essay discussing the variety of sources included and their contribution to Cold War historiography precedes the ample bibliography. This second edition augments college and academic library collections supporting historical research in political sciences and foreign relations and in Slavic, Eastern European, and Soviet studies. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers.
The dangerous Cold War era (1945-91) was one of immense political, cultural, and historical significance. Smith (American diplomatic history, Exeter Univ., U.K.; The Cold War: 1945-1991) and Davis (history, Bronx Community Coll.) provide medium-length to long entries about the important people, organizations, treaties, and events of this period. Persons new to the subject are invited to read the 27-page introduction for a narrative history of the period's main themes and events. The layout and writing of this material make it easy to read, and numerous cross references are embedded in the text of each entry. The book contains a long chronology, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, and a good 33-page bibliography. There are, however, no photographs, maps, or index. Other recent reference works in this field include The Cold War, 1945-1991, edited by Benjamin Frankel (Gale, 1992), Thomas S. Arms's Encyclopedia of the Cold War (LJ 11/15/94), and Thomas Parrish's The Cold War Encyclopedia (LJ 12/1/95). Not surprisingly, The Historical Dictionary has some newer information than these books, which nevertheless have more entries that are more in-depth. The dictionary is a nice complement, but if you have these other books, you can survive without it. It is suitable, however, for all reference collections that do not have comparable resources.--Daniel K. Blewett, Coll. of DuPage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\
A first stop reference book for the Cold War.
Journal of Strategic Studies
...an excellent dictionary of the cold war which will be of use not merely to undergraduates but also to more seasoned observers.
The definitions are succinct and precise....a lucid, twenty-five page history of the Cold War.
The Journal Of Military History
A first stop reference book for the Cold War.
Journal Of Strategic Studies
Entries are intelligent, well written, and interesting.
American Reference Books Annual (ARBA)
The definitions are succinct and precise....a lucid, twenty-five page history of the Cold War.
The Journal of Military History