Vladislav Zubok, „The World of the Cold War 1945-1991“
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.
Reviews
„Monumental and still highly readable… by smartly knitting together the past with the present, Zubok’s book brings a prescient and fresh perspective“ – Financial Times
„Why are there so few gripping histories of the Cold War? Many standard accounts are sensationally boring. This book is much better: brisk, spiky and unafraid to make provocative judgements… Zubok makes you think“ – Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times
About the author
Vladislav Zubok is Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of several books, including Collapse and A Failed Empire, and is the recipient of the Lionel Gelber Prize and the Marshall Shulman Prize, as well as a finalist for the Cundill Prize.
Publisher: Pelican
Published: 01/05/2025
Length: 544 pages
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/303799/the-world-of-the-cold-war-by-zubok-vladislav/9780241696149