The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War [Hardcover]

Norman Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1999

The author goes beyond conventional thinking in an attempt to make sense of one of the most complex and fascinating epochs of world history.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In one of the first comprehensive retellings of the cold war, Norman Friedman offers a broad survey of events from the end of the Second World War to the unexpected collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. He discusses the Korean War, the Cuban missile crisis, Vietnam War, and so on, not as discrete incidents--as many other books have done--but as interconnected confrontations in a long struggle that had to be fought. The Fifty-Year War is mostly a chronological history, with a special emphasis on cold-war weapons and technology. The bulk of the book focuses on the 1950s and 1960s; the 1980s receive only cursory attention, but they are in some sense the most dramatic, the moments when the cold war would turn suddenly hot. Still, Friedman credits Ronald Reagan with being the right man at the right time to ensure the Soviet Union's defeat. Indeed, the author believes the Communists were plainly beaten: "The West won the cold war. The Soviets did not merely lose interest in the competition. They lost the war, and they paid the usual price of defeat." This is a sound overview of a titanic struggle, especially its early period. --John J. Miller

Review

"A provocative survey...[Friedman] again demonstrates why he is considered a leading commentator on international security issues." -- Naval War College Review, Autumn 2003

"The Fifty Year War delivers just what it promises: a comprehensive yet compact narrative of the Cold War from start to finish." -- The Journal of Military History, January 2001

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 600 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557502641
• ISBN-13: 978-1557502643
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,490,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cold War 101, May 3, 2001

By 

Bill French (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War (Hardcover)

this took me,a 14 year old inside the cold war iself. it not only explains the events,strategies and so on but it takes you step by step through the cold war and really gives you an understanding of "why" this happend and why this strategy, a must. this book should not be looked upon lower due to my words as a fouteen yera old.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cold War as Chess Match, November 15, 2001

By 

Matt (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War (Hardcover)

This book does a good job of laying out all the foreign policy, strategic, and military moves, as well as providing context -- although I sometimes found the level of detail to be overwhelming. Some parts read like a political-psychological thriller (who thought what about whom, whether their premises were correct, and how they acted on those premises); other parts resemble a technical manual for various weapons. It will probably be interesting to both political junkies as well as military buffs. Due to the great level of detail, bring patience if you you're new to Cold War history, as I was.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid overview of the Cold War, January 11, 2001

By 

J. N. Mohlman (Barrington, RI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War (Hardcover)

This is an impressive foray into a field of study that probably won't come into its own for another ten years. Through superb use of primary sources, Friedman provides an excellent narrative of fifty years of remarkably complex history. Yes, there are gaps, but that is to be expected only ten years on. Overall, the work is very thorough.

In particular, Friedman does a superb job of removing some of the mythology associated with the Cold War. For example, we come to recognize that Eisenhower, behind his benign facade, was an iron-willed president who kept tight reins on the military and foreign policy. In addition, the most cherished of baby-boomer myths, JFK's presidency, is revealed for the farce it really was. And finally, we see the real Gorbachev: a pragmatic technocrat whose hands were tied.

All in all this is an excellent work of history. I would have given it five stars, but the editing is truly appalling, I've never seen so many typos in a major hardcover release.