A very good summary of a complex period whose influence on contemporary politics still plays. Understanding how wars move from capability to technology Nd economy Nd information is an important lesson for analysing any conflict. ( )

John Hughes-Wilson is a former British intelligence officer. As such, he may have been privy to information not available to most journalists or historians. Most of his book is a fast-paced, easy-to-read history of the Cold War, but it contains several eye popping assertions that most historians might disagree with.

First, he claims that during the Hungarian uprising in 1956, “Washington may even have indicated secretly that the United States was prepared to turn a blind eye to any Soviet action in Hungary” because Eisenhower was preoccupied with the imminent presidential election.

Second, he asserts the American mafia, not Lee Harvey Oswald, killed President Kennedy. According to Hughes-Wilson, the mob had relative immunity from J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI because Hoover had been compromised as a homosexual by the mob. However, the mob had no such protection against a crusading Bobby Kennedy, and when JFK failed to protect mob interest in Cuba, he “signed his own death warrant.”

The rest of the book, however, is pretty insightful. The author is adept at showing how domestic pressures to be “tough on communism” often made it difficult for American presidents to make intelligent deals with the Soviet Union. He also shows that Mao’s pressure on Khrushchev led to significant trouble for world peace.

The book is comprehensive and thorough. It would make a good introduction for young people to a period of history that we elderly lived through.

(JAB) ( )

A very good general overview, with a slightly folksy style. The downside is e obvious non dispassionate stance, the author coming across as right wing in his politics, but his list of references & bibliography @ the back impressive. A well paced overview, lacking at times in detail, but good enough to steer you in hoe right direction. ( )