Synopses & Reviews
First published in 1968,
World Politics since 1945 is a classic and authoritative study of contemporary political history that has helped to divert, educate, and inform two generations of political scientists, historians and general readers. The ninth edition has been expanded and updated to take into account the developments of the last 10 years, including the ugly incursions of global terrorism; the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan; the accelerating emergence of India and China as major powers; the major political developments in Latin America; the march of globalisation; the expansion eastwards of the European Union; instability in the Middle East; and the vexed question of oil and energy supplies.
The book has long been a staple of bookshelves and reading lists across the world, and provides a reliable and interconnected account of the great sweeps of contemporary history. Marked throughout by Calvocoressis characteristic erudition and elegance, it will continue to be essential reading for students of international politics and for all of those who simply wish to understand better the path the world has taken since the end of the Second World War.
The book compels admiration for its thoroughness, its scope, the masterly ordering of its immense material.
The Sunday Times
This is a famous book, and has been for forty years, as it has grown steadily in scope and colour. Ninety-something per cent of political commentary is cribbed and confined by a lack of historical and geographical context. Here, for once, are the dots joined, the movements explained and the details returned to the world-sized landscape.
Andrew Marr
Peter Calvocoressi's book is an invaluable guide to global politics since the Second World War. It has reminded me of things I had forgotten and taught me things I did not know. I will be a constant user of this interesting book.
Chris Patten
Lucid narrative, coherent structure and an enlightened liberal viewpoint.
Sir Con ONeill, The Observer
This is the most lucid, comprehensive, intelligent, and reliable account of post-war modern history on the market.
Teaching Politics
Peter Calvocoressi has a remarkable record of providing concise, pithy, shrewd and accessible analyses of contemporary history. World Politics demonstrates fully the range of his knowledge and the sagacity of his judgement.
Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman.
About the author
Peter Calvocoressi, a distinguished figure in the field of International Relations, was born in 1912 and educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, where he received a First in History. He was called to the Bar in 1935. During the Second World War he worked in Ultra intelligence at Bletchley Park and later attended the Nuremberg trials. Since then he has divided his time between publishing and international affairs.
In the post-war period he succeeded Arnold Toynbee as author of the annual Survey of International Affairs. He was a partner in Chatto & Windus and the Hogarth Press and Chief Executive of Penguin Books. He has been a reader in International Affairs at the University of Sussex and has served on the Councils of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Amnesty International, and on the UN Sub-Committee on Discrimination and Minorities. He has been chairman of the London Library and the Africa Bureau.
In addition to this he is, of course, the author of many books, including the Penguin History of the Second World War; Fall Out: World War Two and the Shaping of Post-war Europe; A Time for Peace; Top Secret Ultra, a memoir of his time at Bletchley Park;Nuremberg: The Facts, the Law and the Consequences; and Threading My Way.
Review
'In my view this is the most lucid, comprehensive, intelligent and reliable account of post-war modern history on the market.' Teaching Politics 'This book compels admiration for its thoroughness, its scope, the masterly ordering of its immense material.' The Sunday Times
Synopsis
A new edition of Peter Calvocoressis classic survey of the global political scene. Lucid, authoritative, enlightening and wise, this is
the book to read for those wishing to understand the political world we live in today.
· A classic work of narrative reference
· Covers all the major political events since 1945
· Endorsements to come from Andrew Marr and Lord Patten of Barnes
· PR campaign to celebrate both the book and the author
Synopsis
Front Cover Flash -
"Lucid narrative, coherent structure and an enlightened liberal viewpoint"
THE OBSERVER
"The book compels admiration for its thoroughness, its scope, the masterly ordering of its immense material"
THE SUNDAY TIMES
Back Cover Copy - Final draft
Shelf classification: Politics/International Relations
WORLD POLITICS 1945-2000
PETER CALVOCORESSI
The final edition of this enormously successful standard work has been completely revised to cover fifty-five years, making it the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of world history since the end of the Second World War.
Written in an impeccably clear, succinct and challenging way, World Politics 1945-2000 is an invaluable and authoritative guide through the complexities of contemporary international politics, through the Cold War and post-Cold War world order.
Coverage includes:
· The immediate aftermath of the disintegration of the Soviet empire in Europe and the Soviet Union itself
· The convulsive collapse of the former Yugoslavia and the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo
· The Gulf War against Iraq and its various sequels
· The Maastricht Treaty for the furthering of the European Union
· The tensions in China between economic liberalisation and the stringencies of communism in the shadow of Deng Xiaoping's prolonged rule
· Mixed fortunes in Africa, from optimism in South Africa, Ghana and even Angola to grimness or worse in Nigeria, Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia
· Thin times for the UN, the expiring GATT and internationalism in general
· Over 30 excellent maps
· Numerous assessments of key figures, including Deng, Khomeini, Thatcher and Mitterrand
· A completely new and fascinating introduction, surveying the major themes of the period
Some reviews of the previous editions:
"In my view, this is the most lucid, comprehensive, intelligent and reliable account of post-war modern history on the market."
TEACHING POLITICS
"Peter Calvocoressi has a remarkable record of providing concise, pithy, shrewd and accessible analyses of contemporary history. World Politics demonstrates fully the range of his knowledge and the sagacity of his judgement."
PROFESSOR LAWRENCE FREEDMAN
Peter Calvocoressi is a figure of distinction in the field of International Relations. A former reader in International Relations at the University of Sussex, he is the author of numerous books, including Independent Africa and the World, Fall Out: World War II and the Shaping of Postwar Europe, and Resilient Europe: A Study of the Years 1870 - 2000, all published by Longman. During the Second World War he worked in British Intelligence at Bletchley Park and from 1946-47 attended the Nuremberg Trials. Since then he has devoted his time mainly to international affairs and book publishing.
Cover:
Synopsis
This is a famous book, and has been for forty years, as it has grown steadily in scope and colour. Ninety-something per cent of political commentary is cribbed and confined by a lack of historical and geographical context. Here, for once, are the dots joined, the movements explained and the details returned to the world-sized landscape.
Andrew Marr
Peter Calvocoressi's book is an invaluable guide to global politics since the Second World War. It has reminded me of things I had forgotten and taught me things I did not know. I will be a constant user of this interesting book.
Chris Patten
Lucid narrative, coherent structure and an enlightened liberal viewpoint.
Sir Con O'Neill, The Observer
This is the most lucid, comprehensive, intelligent, and reliable account of post-war modern history on the market.
Teaching Politics
Peter Calvocoressi has a remarkable record of providing concise, pithy, shrewd and accessible analyses of contemporary history. World Politics demonstrates fully the range of his knowledge and the sagacity of his judgement.
Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman
The book compels admiration for its thoroughness, its scope, the masterly ordering of its immense material.
The Sunday Times
Synopsis
An enormously successful, comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of world history since the end of the Second World War. The 8th and last ever edition of Calvocoressi's World Politics, is fully updated to provide a complete guide to the second half of the 20th Century. Since the first edition in 1968, World Politics has established itself as a vital text for anyone involved in international politics or history. As world events happened, Calvocoressi added more and more to his book to maintain its status as a current and complete source. It is the only single volume book to give full international coverage and to be written in clear, succint and accessibly writing style.
Synopsis
First published in 1968,
World Politics since 1945 is a classic and authoritative study of contemporary political history that has helped to divert, educate, and inform two generations of political scientists, historians and general readers. The ninth edition has been expanded and updated to take into account the developments of the last 10 years, including the ugly incursions of global terrorism; the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan; the accelerating emergence of India and China as major powers; the major political developments in Latin America; the march of globalisation; the expansion eastwards of the European Union; instability in the Middle East; and the vexed question of oil and energy supplies.
The book has long been a staple of bookshelves and reading lists across the world, and provides a reliable and interconnected account of the great sweeps of contemporary history. Marked throughout by Calvocoressis characteristic erudition and elegance, it will continue to be essential reading for students of international politics and for all of those who simply wish to understand better the path the world has taken since the end of the Second World War.
The book compels admiration for its thoroughness, its scope, the masterly ordering of its immense material.
The Sunday Times
This is a famous book, and has been for forty years, as it has grown steadily in scope and colour. Ninety-something per cent of political commentary is cribbed and confined by a lack of historical and geographical context. Here, for once, are the dots joined, the movements explained and the details returned to the world-sized landscape.
Andrew Marr
Peter Calvocoressi's book is an invaluable guide to global politics since the Second World War. It has reminded me of things I had forgotten and taught me things I did not know. I will be a constant user of this interesting book.
Chris Patten
Lucid narrative, coherent structure and an enlightened liberal viewpoint.
Sir Con ONeill, The Observer
This is the most lucid, comprehensive, intelligent, and reliable account of post-war modern history on the market.
Teaching Politics
Peter Calvocoressi has a remarkable record of providing concise, pithy, shrewd and accessible analyses of contemporary history. World Politics demonstrates fully the range of his knowledge and the sagacity of his judgement.
Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman.
About the author
Peter Calvocoressi, a distinguished figure in the field of International Relations, was born in 1912 and educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, where he received a First in History. He was called to the Bar in 1935. During the Second World War he worked in Ultra intelligence at Bletchley Park and later attended the Nuremberg trials. Since then he has divided his time between publishing and international affairs.
In the post-war period he succeeded Arnold Toynbee as author of the annual Survey of International Affairs. He was a partner in Chatto & Windus and the Hogarth Press and Chief Executive of Penguin Books. He has been a reader in International Affairs at the University of Sussex and has served on the Councils of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Amnesty International, and on the UN Sub-Committee on Discrimination and Minorities. He has been chairman of the London Library and the Africa Bureau.
In addition to this he is, of course, the author of many books, including the Penguin History of the Second World War; Fall Out: World War Two and the Shaping of Post-war Europe; A Time for Peace; Top Secret Ultra, a memoir of his time at Bletchley Park;Nuremberg: The Facts, the Law and the Consequences; and Threading My Way.
Synopsis
A new edition of Peter Calvocoressis classic survey of the global political scene. Lucid, authoritative, enlightening and wise, this is
the book to read for those wishing to understand the political world we live in today.
· A classic work of narrative reference
· Covers all the major political events since 1945
· Endorsements to come from Andrew Marr and Lord Patten of Barnes
· PR campaign to celebrate both the book and the author
Synopsis
Front Cover Flash -
"Lucid narrative, coherent structure and an enlightened liberal viewpoint"
THE OBSERVER
"The book compels admiration for its thoroughness, its scope, the masterly ordering of its immense material"
THE SUNDAY TIMES
Back Cover Copy - Final draft
Shelf classification: Politics/International Relations
WORLD POLITICS 1945-2000
PETER CALVOCORESSI
The final edition of this enormously successful standard work has been completely revised to cover fifty-five years, making it the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of world history since the end of the Second World War.
Written in an impeccably clear, succinct and challenging way, World Politics 1945-2000 is an invaluable and authoritative guide through the complexities of contemporary international politics, through the Cold War and post-Cold War world order.
Coverage includes:
· The immediate aftermath of the disintegration of the Soviet empire in Europe and the Soviet Union itself
· The convulsive collapse of the former Yugoslavia and the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo
· The Gulf War against Iraq and its various sequels
· The Maastricht Treaty for the furthering of the European Union
· The tensions in China between economic liberalisation and the stringencies of communism in the shadow of Deng Xiaoping's prolonged rule
· Mixed fortunes in Africa, from optimism in South Africa, Ghana and even Angola to grimness or worse in Nigeria, Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia
· Thin times for the UN, the expiring GATT and internationalism in general
· Over 30 excellent maps
· Numerous assessments of key figures, including Deng, Khomeini, Thatcher and Mitterrand
· A completely new and fascinating introduction, surveying the major themes of the period
Some reviews of the previous editions:
"In my view, this is the most lucid, comprehensive, intelligent and reliable account of post-war modern history on the market."
TEACHING POLITICS
"Peter Calvocoressi has a remarkable record of providing concise, pithy, shrewd and accessible analyses of contemporary history. World Politics demonstrates fully the range of his knowledge and the sagacity of his judgement."
PROFESSOR LAWRENCE FREEDMAN
Peter Calvocoressi is a figure of distinction in the field of International Relations. A former reader in International Relations at the University of Sussex, he is the author of numerous books, including Independent Africa and the World, Fall Out: World War II and the Shaping of Postwar Europe, and Resilient Europe: A Study of the Years 1870 - 2000, all published by Longman. During the Second World War he worked in British Intelligence at Bletchley Park and from 1946-47 attended the Nuremberg Trials. Since then he has devoted his time mainly to international affairs and book publishing.
Cover:
About the Author
About the Author -
Peter Calvocoressi (who turns 97 this year) has had a remarkable life. During the war he worked at Bletchley Park as part of the Ultra intelligence team; he was sent to Nuremberg by the Joint Intelligence Committee, where he provided advice to the four chief prosecutors; in the post-war period he succeeded Arnold Toynbee and wrote the annual survey for the Royal Institute of International Affairs; from 1961 to 1971 he was on the council of the International Institute of Strategic Studies and served as chair of their Africa Bureau; during the same period he served on the United Nations Working Group on Minorities; on top of which he managed to develop distinguished ancillary careers in publishing, journalism, academia, and, of course, as an author of over twenty books
Table of Contents
World Politics Since 1945
Peter Calvocoressi
Table of Contents
List of Maps
Acknowledgements
Introduction
PART ONE: THE COLD WAR
1 The Cold War
Beginnings
The division of Germany
Nato and the Soviet empire to the Cuban crisis
The arms race
The perplexities of the United States
The disintegration of the USSR
The limits of superpower
PART TWO: THE FAR EAST
2 Japan
3 China
The triumph of Mao
China and the superpowers
Resurrection
Xinjiang and Tibet
4 Korea
PART THREE: EUROPE REMODELLED
5 Western Europe
Recovery
Franco-German entente
Britain on the edge
European Union (west)
European Union (east west)
The southern flank
6 Central and eastern Europe
Stalins empire
After Stalin
End of empire
7 Yugoslavia and Albania
Federated Yugoslavia
Dissolution: Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Partition: Bosnia-Herzegovina
Kosovo
Macedonia and Albania
Notes A Northern Ireland
B The Basques
C Cyprus
PART FOUR: THE MIDDLE EAST
8 Islam
9 Turkey
10 The Arabs and Israel to the Suez War
The creation of Israel
Arab revolutions
The Suez War
11 From Suez to the death of Nasser
Reassessments
The decline of Nasser and the Six-Day War
12 The destruction of Lebanon
The Yom Kippur War
Civil war
Camp David
Israels invasion of Lebanon
13 Towards a Palestinian State
King Husseins diplomacy
Israels dilemma
14 Iran and Gulf Wars
Oil and nationalism
The shah and the ayatollah
Saddam Hussein
Kuwait and the Gulf War
The destruction of Iraq
15 The Arabian Peninsula
The Saudi kingdom
The southern fringe
Britain and the Persian Gulf
Notes A The Kurds
B The Shiites
C Sectarian violence
PART FIVE: SOUTH ASIA
16 The Indian subcontinent
The first partition
Northern borders: Tibet, Kashmir, the Himalayan states
The second partition
17 The Indo-Chinese peninsula
18 South-east Asia and ASEAN
19 Afghanistan
Notes A Central Asia
B Sri Lanka
PART SIX: AFRICA
20 General
21 North Africa
The Maghrib
Libya and Chad
22 West Africa
Independence
The coastal loop from Senegal to Benin
Landlocked: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger
Nigeria
23 Central Africa
Congo-Zaire-Congo
Rwanda and Burundi
West Central Africa
24 East Africa
Sudan
Darfur
The Horn
Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya
25 Africas deep south
The legacy of Cecil Rhodes
Mozambique-Angola-Namibia
South Africa
26 Russians, Cubans, Chinese
Notes A The Malagasy Republic and the Indian Ocean
B Botswana, Lesotho, Ngwane
C The Homelands or Bantustans
PART SEVEN: LATIN AMERICA
27 South America
General
28 Central America
29 Cuba and the Caribbean
Note Guyana and Surinam
PART EIGHT: WORLD ORDER
30 World Order
Preventing wars
Preventing economic disasters
Neutralism and realignment
Poverty
Notes A Canada
B Very small states
C The Poles
D The law of the sea
APPENDIX: THE SOVEREIGN STATE
Index