America, Russia, and the Cold war by Walter LaFeber

America, Russia, and the Cold war by Walter LaFeber

America, Russia, and the Cold war, 1945-2006 is a book written by Walter LaFeber. The book explores the process in the domestic events of the Soviet Union and the US shaped the Cold War. It also highlights the various perspectives of conflict by the Vietnamese, European, Latin American and the Chinese. The author of the book depicts the Cold War as a conflict amidst alien ideologies and expansive societies that were developed on various suspicion years and erupted after the Second World War when there was a clash between Russia and American. The Americans dreamt of an open world while the Russians aimed at protecting the country’s security through the establishment of a satellite empire in the EU hence a conflict began between the US and Russia. In the Book, LaFeber oversees the Cold War moving from Europe to new countries and the conflict over Vietnam being brought about by this shift. Also, LaFeber insists that the foreign policy of America should be newly appraised so as to identify the limits of American powers.

The book is exceptionally written and authentic since the author projects his arguments perfectly. Not to mention, LaFeber incorporates credible facts and information from various sources such as interviews, maps, archives and excerpts from magazines. On the other hand, he supports and expounds his arguments using a documentary and several books. Thus, his writing is supported by rigid evidence and can be used as a source of research in future studies. For instance, LaFeber analyzes his sources critically to provide a chronological order of the events from 1957-1962 whereby the United States were implementing their foreign policy. On the other hand, he also incorporates his evidence to provide a physical description of how the American foreign policy failed to understand particular situations.

The book establishes its thesis seamlessly. Not only does it state the purpose of the book but also guides the reader on what to expect throughout the book. On the other hand, the thesis clearly states the main theme of the book which is of how the American foreign policy between third world nations and the Soviet Union are founded on historical, domestic and cultural misinterpretations. More so, LaFeber clearly proves his thesis throughout the book. He is consistent in discussing and elaborating the main theme of the book in conjunction with employing various sources and evidences. For instance, in the ninth chapter, LaFeber argues about the manner in which the events that occurred from 1957 to 1962 propelled the implementation of the American foreign policy. He claims that the foreign policy was implemented in response to the nuclear advancement of the Soviet to third world nations. These occurrences ultimately led to the US involvement with Vietnam and intensifying of the Cold War. In light of this the author remains relevant throughout the book while paying homage to his thesis altogether.

Important to note is that, the book is well-written based on the fact that the fact it is clear from how the author presents his thesis and the chronological order of events that is evident throughout the book. The ideas and arguments of the book are well-organized such that the reader can easily understand them. Additionally, the author engages an accurate and precise choice of words along with well-articulated sentences. Most importantly, the book incorporates various sources to prove the credibility of the facts presented and to also prove the authenticity of his arguments.

Hence, the book is through-provoking and informative such that the reader is able to attain new ideas from the book and also have a fresh perspective of the events of the Cold War from 1957 to 1962. In sum, the author captures the attention of the reader from the beginning of the book through the well-articulated thesis and how he supports his arguments as well as facts from credible sources and evidence.