We remain fully operational. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure your deliveries continue safely.
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Customer Services
Copyright © 2025 Desertcart Holdings Limited
DOWNLOAD THE APP
desertcart.com: The Cambridge History of the Cold War (Volume 3): 9781107602311: Leffler, Melvyn P.: Books Review: Essay quality more variable than in the earlier volumes - Whilst I have no reservations about 5*, I was more conscious of variability in the quality of the constituent essays than I had been in either of volumes 1 & 2. The penultimate essay in volume 3 "An Incredibly Swift Transition" strikes me as a masterpiece and there are several others which I also rate extremely highly. There are a few others, though, which strike me as being less well written, of questionable relevance and/or of questionable objectivity. I was more conscious of this in volume 3 than I had been in either of the first two volumes. However, this does not in any way endanger my 5* evaluation either of this individual volume or of the set as a whole. Both the volume and the set achieve their goals superbly. Review: Have at last completed the final volume of this series and can now reflect on what a journey it has been. The extent to which it has determined my broader historical reading and caused me to reconsider my presumed understanding of the great events of the years I have lived through cannot be overestimated. If I had to recommend one set of books for a visitor from the future to get up to speed on the history of our time it would be these provocative, often surprising, and ultimately deeply moving volumes. Being a collection of academic essays means that there is little by way of directly emotionally charged material. But there are facts, quite some of which have only emerged with the opening of archives and declassification of secret documents. And there are numbers, and with sufficient imagination some of these numbers have a powerful emotional jolt of their own. I feel able to describe this as a global history, because although the themes of the Cold War, familiar and unfamiliar, are broken down for examination, its situation in the global contexts of demography and economics, and the political factors such as the United Nations and Non-Aligned movement are also spelled out. While the content preserves academic rigour throughout, the sheer magnitude of the waste, folly and heartless cruelty, both intended and thoughtless, of all sides in this greatest of wars that never happened, cannot help but leave one breathless and appalled.
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,820,174 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #787 in International Relations (Books) #6,408 in History (Books) #11,957 in International & World Politics (Books) |
| Book 3 of 3 | The Cambridge History of the Cold War |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (19) |
| Dimensions | 6 x 1.61 x 9 inches |
| Edition | Reprint |
| ISBN-10 | 1107602319 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1107602311 |
| Item Weight | 2.4 pounds |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 714 pages |
| Publication date | January 26, 2012 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
D**.
Essay quality more variable than in the earlier volumes
Whilst I have no reservations about 5*, I was more conscious of variability in the quality of the constituent essays than I had been in either of volumes 1 & 2. The penultimate essay in volume 3 "An Incredibly Swift Transition" strikes me as a masterpiece and there are several others which I also rate extremely highly. There are a few others, though, which strike me as being less well written, of questionable relevance and/or of questionable objectivity. I was more conscious of this in volume 3 than I had been in either of the first two volumes. However, this does not in any way endanger my 5* evaluation either of this individual volume or of the set as a whole. Both the volume and the set achieve their goals superbly.
J**E
Have at last completed the final volume of this series and can now reflect on what a journey it has been. The extent to which it has determined my broader historical reading and caused me to reconsider my presumed understanding of the great events of the years I have lived through cannot be overestimated. If I had to recommend one set of books for a visitor from the future to get up to speed on the history of our time it would be these provocative, often surprising, and ultimately deeply moving volumes. Being a collection of academic essays means that there is little by way of directly emotionally charged material. But there are facts, quite some of which have only emerged with the opening of archives and declassification of secret documents. And there are numbers, and with sufficient imagination some of these numbers have a powerful emotional jolt of their own. I feel able to describe this as a global history, because although the themes of the Cold War, familiar and unfamiliar, are broken down for examination, its situation in the global contexts of demography and economics, and the political factors such as the United Nations and Non-Aligned movement are also spelled out. While the content preserves academic rigour throughout, the sheer magnitude of the waste, folly and heartless cruelty, both intended and thoughtless, of all sides in this greatest of wars that never happened, cannot help but leave one breathless and appalled.
M**Y
指導教員から教えてもらって以来、何度も引用している。テーマごとの論文集だが、2010年までの研究を引用した冷戦の通説的な評価を知ることのできる決定版だといえる。第3巻は70年代以降が対象。
A**X
Nothing to add to all of the other review, great book, lots of information, very well written. A book everyone must have.
L**A
GREAT
S**Y
Wonderful book! If you want to undestand the Cold War, just read it.
Trustpilot
3 days ago
1 month ago