From the Cold War to a New Era: The United States and the Soviet Union, 1983-1991 [Paperback]

Don Oberdorfer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0801859220 | ISBN-13: 978-0801859229 | Publication Date: May 1, 1998 | Edition: Updated

An updated edition of Don Oberdorfer's acclaimed book, The Turn

First published in 1991 as The Turn, this is the gripping narrative history of the most important international development of our time—the passage of the United States and the Soviet Union from the Cold War to a new era. Don Oberdorfer makes the reader a privileged behind-the-scenes spectator as U.S. and Soviet leaders take each other's measure and slowly set about their historic task. Oberdorfer writes diplomatic history with a vital difference: extraordinary intimacy made possible by comprehensive interviews with major figures on both sides and exclusive material from a host of other sources.

Now this widely praised book is available in a new, updated paperback edition that continues the narrative up to the dramatic collapse of the Soviet Union. Replete with revealing portraits of historical personalities, as riveting as a spy thriller, this is an enthralling record of history in the making.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Don Oberdorfer, former diplomatic correspondent for the Washington Post, chronicles the ending of the cold war in this updated edition of his 1991 book The Turn (a new chapter covers events from the May 1990 summit in Washington to the final dissolution of the Soviet Union in the last days of 1991). Ronald Reagan, who began his presidency with startlingly harsh rhetoric toward the Soviet Union, reached out to the Soviets just as their government, to everyone's eventual surprise, was about to collapse from within. The following years were full of dramatic twists, such as the fast succession of Soviet leaders following the death of Leonid Brezhnev, the controversy over the Soviets shooting down a Korean airliner in 1983, the unlikely emergence of Reagan as a summiteer in Geneva and Reykjavik, and Gorbachev's startling perestroika reforms. Oberdorfer's reputation as a reporter got him access to key insiders on both sides, a crucial factor in the rich detail he brings to explaining a history that seemed astonishing as it unfolded. --Robert McNamara

Review

Gripping... Oberdorfer's detailed, balanced account describes the policies and personalities that actually changed history.

(Robert Hutchings Journal of Cold War Studies )

An excellent, balanced account of the relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States during the years of the Reagan and Bush administrations... It provides an informative discussion of the demise of the Cold War and belongs among the shelves of anyone interested in that topic.

(Donald L. Zelman H-Pol, H-NET Reviews )

A reliable source of raw data for those interested in studying these important episodes in world politics from a variety of perspectives.

(Benjamin E. Goldsmith Peace and Conflict )

A highly readable and utterly persuasive account of why the Cold War came to end the way it did.

(Fred Barnes American Spectator )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 568 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; Updated edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801859220
• ISBN-13: 978-0801859229
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,156,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fair and well-written, November 29, 2004

By 

Jack Lechelt "Jackyred" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From the Cold War to a New Era: The United States and the Soviet Union, 1983-1991 (Paperback)

This is an exciting look into the demise of the Soviet Union. Oberdorfer was a journalist for the Washington Post and had as close a view to the 1980s US-USSR foreign policy process as anyone outside of the government could have. With his fine writing skills, he offers the reader a balanced account of the changing relationship between the superpowers of the Cold War. Of course, the powerhouses of Reagan, Gorbachev, Gromyko, Dobrynin, Shultz, Bush, and Shevardnadze are the focal points; but there are many other important players who contributed no small amounts to what happened at the tail end of the Cold War.

Ronald Reagan was no doubt an important force in American government: all presidents are. However, there is and forever will be controversy over his impact on events. The right wingers want us to believe that he single-handedly brought down the Soviet Union by being tough and forcing them to spend money until they collapsed; the righties also believe Gorbachev had nothing to do with his country's implosion. The left wingers want us to believe that Reagan had nothing to do with what happened and that Gorbachev deserves all of the accolades. As with all debates among the two ends of the American political spectrum, the truth lies somewhere in-between. And Oberdorfer offers us a look into a process that was bigger than the two leaders, albeit a process that was greatly impacted by all involved. As America continues to debate Ronald Reagan and what he left us, maybe some day we can all accept that he was something more complex than the right-wing and left-wing want to believe. But until then, there is this fantastic book. Enjoy.