Synopses & Reviews
In a striking reinterpretation of the postwar years, Robert Dallek examines what drove the leaders of the most powerful and populous nations around the globeRoosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Mao, de Gaulle, and Trumanto rely on traditional power politics despite the catastrophic violence their nations had endured. The decisions of these men, for better and often for worse, had profound consequences for decades to come, influencing relations and conflicts with China, Korea, in the Middle East, and around the globe.
The Lost Peace is a penetrating look at the misjudgments that caused enormous strife and suffering during this critical period, from the closing months of World War II through the early years of the Cold War. From Hitler's killing program to Stalin's paranoia to Truman's decision to build hydrogen bombs, the men who led the world at this time executed astonishingly unwise actions that propelled the nuclear arms race and extended the Cold War. Dallek has written a cautionary tale that considers what might have been done differently to avoid the difficulties that strong and weak nations around the globe encountered in the mid-twentieth century.
Provocative, illuminating, and based on a lifetime of research, The Lost Peace also offers extraordinary lessons for today's leaders who may learn from the mistakes that were made between 1945 and 1953 and help them achieve an era of greater international cooperation.
Review
“An excellent book.” < i=""> < b=""> The New York Times Book Review <> <>
Review
"Bound to provoke debate, Dallek's tome should engage the readership for world politics." < i=""> < b=""> Booklist <> <>
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“Robert Dallek brings to this majestic work a profound understanding of history, a deep engagement in foreign policy, and a lifetime of studying leadership. This seminal work deserves widespread attention.” < b=""> Doris Kearns Goodwin <>
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“A perceptive work. . . . Veteran historian Dallek delivers a shrewd analysis of why world leaders failed to deliver a better world.” < i=""> < b=""> Publishers Weekly <> <>
Review
“An excellent book.” < i=""> < b=""> The New York Times Book Review <> <>
Review
“Bound to provoke debate, Dalleks tome should engage the readership for world politics.” < i=""> < b=""> Booklist <> <>
Synopsis
In a striking reinterpretation of the years following World War II, best-selling author Robert Dallek examines why the leaders of the world's most powerful nations -- Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Mao, de Gaulle, and Truman -- relied on traditional power politics instead of learning from the tragedies of the war. The decisions they made during that time would have profound consequences and affect international politics for decades to come.
The Lost Peace is a penetrating look at the misjudgments that caused so much suffering during this critical period, accelerating the nuclear arms race and extending the Cold War. Dallek, author of Nixon and Kissinger, has written a cautionary tale that not only offers important historical perspective, but also provides timely insight on America's course into the future.
Robert Dallek is the author of Nixon and Kissinger and An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, among other books. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, and Vanity Fair. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Society of American Historians, for which he served as president in 2004-2005. He lives in Washington, D.C.
"Robert Dallek brings to this majestic work a profound understanding of history, a deep engagement in foreign policy, and a lifetime of studying leadership ... This seminal work deserves widespread attention." -- Doris Kearns Goodwin
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BooklistSynopsis
Provocative, illuminating, and based on a lifetime of research,
The Lost Peace is a penetrating look at the misjudgments that caused enormous strife and suffering during a most critical period in history: from the closing months of World War II through the early years of the Cold War. The men who led the world—principally Churchill, Stalin, de Gaulle, Mao, Truman, Syngman Rhee, and Kim Il Sung—executed astonishingly unwise actions that propelled the nuclear arms race. The decisions of these great men, for better and often for worse, had profound consequences for the following decades, influencing relations and conflicts in China, Korea, the Middle East, and elsewhere around the globe.
Robert Dalleks striking reinterpretation of the postwar years, The Lost Peace is a cautionary tale that considers what might have been done differently to avoid the tumult of the mid-twentieth century and the grave difficulties that plagued strong and weak nations alike in a time of fear, mistrust, and uncertainty.
Synopsis
"Robert Dallek brings to this majestic work a profound understanding of history, a deep engagement in foreign policy, and a lifetime of studying leadership. The story of what went wrong during the postwar period…has never been more intelligently explored." —Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning
Team of RivalsRobert Dalleck follows his bestselling Nixon and Kissenger: Partners in Power and An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 with this masterful account of the crucial period that shaped the postwar world. As the Obama Administration struggles to define its strategy for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Dallek's critical and compelling look at Truman, Churchill, Stalin, and other world leaders in the wake of World War II not only offers important historical perspective but provides timely insight on America's course into the future.
About the Author
Robert Dallek is the author of An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 and Nixon and Kissinger, among other books. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, and Vanity Fair. He lives in Washington, D.C.