The World of the Cold War
1945-1991
Published on 30. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
544 pages
978-0-14-198510-7 (ISBN)
Description
Why did the Cold War erupt so soon after the Second World War? How did it escalate so rapidly, spanning five continents over six decades? And what led to the spectacular collapse of the Soviet Union?
In this comprehensive guide to the most widespread conflict in contemporary history, Vladislav Zubok traces the origins of the Cold War in post-war Europe, through the tumultuous decades of confrontation, to the fall of the Berlin Wall and beyond.
With remarkable clarity, Zubok argues that the Cold War, often seen as an existential battle between capitalist democracy and totalitarian Communism, has long been misunderstood. Challenging the popular Western narrative that economic superiority and democratic values led the USA to victory, Zubok looks beyond the familiar images of East-West rivalry towards the wider context of global decolonisation, Soviet weakness and the accidents of history. Here, he interrogates what happens when stability and peace are no longer the default, when treaties are broken and when diplomacy ceases to function.
Drawing on years of research and informed by Zubok's three decades in the USSR followed by three decades in the West, The World of the Cold War paints a striking portrait of a world on the brink.
In this comprehensive guide to the most widespread conflict in contemporary history, Vladislav Zubok traces the origins of the Cold War in post-war Europe, through the tumultuous decades of confrontation, to the fall of the Berlin Wall and beyond.
With remarkable clarity, Zubok argues that the Cold War, often seen as an existential battle between capitalist democracy and totalitarian Communism, has long been misunderstood. Challenging the popular Western narrative that economic superiority and democratic values led the USA to victory, Zubok looks beyond the familiar images of East-West rivalry towards the wider context of global decolonisation, Soviet weakness and the accidents of history. Here, he interrogates what happens when stability and peace are no longer the default, when treaties are broken and when diplomacy ceases to function.
Drawing on years of research and informed by Zubok's three decades in the USSR followed by three decades in the West, The World of the Cold War paints a striking portrait of a world on the brink.
Reviews / Votes
Why are there so few gripping histories of the Cold War? Many standard accounts are sensationally boring. This book is much better: brisk, spiky and unafraid to make provocative judgements... Zubok makes you think -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times * Thorough and timely... Drawing on years of research, and informed by three decades in the USSR followed by three decades in the West, Zubok paints a striking new portrait of a world on the brink * Spectator * Compelling and timely * Observer * Monumental and still highly readable... by smartly knitting together the past with the present, Zubok's book brings a prescient and fresh perspective * Financial Times * Short, readable... Zubok's new narrative is a welcome corrective to Gaddis' triumphalist, US-centred history... A helpful primer for those seeking to understand the past that made our present * History Today * Immensely scholarly, and its sweep is considerable... Zubok has complete command of his narrative, based on a deep knowledge of his subject * Telegraph * Always sensible... Make(s) comprehensible a Russian perspective on a key question of 20th-century history that we generally see only from the American side -- Sheila Fitzpatrick * London Review of Books * A masterful study, which should be read by everyone interested in contemporary international history -- Odd Arne Westad This provocative, comprehensive, and insightful analysis not only incorporates the latest scholarship but is also remarkably lucid and accessible. Students will be enlightened; experts will be challenged to reassess their thinking. This volume is a major contribution -- Melvyn P. Leffler Vladislav Zubok's accomplishments eminently qualify him to write this epic and exciting reconsideration of Cold War history. Along with new information from Soviet archives is a compelling interpretation of how capitalism itself, not just geopolitics, was changed by the Cold War - with consequential ramifications for our time -- Samuel MoynMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 107 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
294 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-14-198510-7 (9780141985107)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2025
Pelican
€10.99
Available for download
Person
Vladislav Zubok is Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of several books, including Collapse and A Failed Empire, and is the recipient of the Lionel Gelber Prize and the Marshall Shulman Prize, as well as a finalist for the Cundill Prize.