Cold War

Children's Literature

In 1964 Nikita Khrushchev was ousted from power in the Soviet Union and was replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. Over the next twenty-five years the Cold War would play out until its smashing conclusion. These were years that saw continued armed conflict in places such as Angola, Afghanistan and the Middle East. Countless dollars and rubles were expended in an attempt to guarantee a balance of power. This was also a time period that began with the global super powers operating in a world of assured mutual destruction and ending in an era of détente and glasnost. This final chapter in Michael Burgan's history of the Cold War provides readers with a fascinating profile of modern history. Filled with photographs and illustrations, this is a fitting way to close an outstanding series of history books. The author has a knack for compressing monumental events into concise chunks. Specific profiles of key individuals and events amplify the general narrative. In the end, the communists in the USSR and its Eastern Block allies were unable to cope with the demands for reform, economic growth and democracy. The dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact set the stage for a new age in world diplomacy. This final volume in this "Cold War" series of books is a wonderful effort at explaining the complicated and far-reaching events of previous decades. 2001, Raintree Steck Vaughn, $35.68. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Collapse describes the changing relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union from the 1960s through 1991 as the superpowers struggled with rivalries in an arms race and conflicts waged by surrogates in Africa and Latin America. It also discusses d tente, arms control, and the collapse of the Soviet empire. Hot Conflicts focuses on the Korean conflict and the Vietnam War. Each volume includes highlighted sections on people, places, culture, and sources (quotes from documents, speeches, or personal reminiscences) that provide detailed information without interfering with the flow of the narrative. The cogent biographies of leaders, for example, give good background sketches as well as elaborations on positions that were taken. Additional information about battle sites or countries is given under "Places." In addition, the narratives are divided into short sections, and this, too, gives Burgan additional flexibility in presenting a very complicated history. Both books are exceptionally well written. Useful maps and black-and-white photographs are accurately captioned and complement the texts. Some sections of the text are cued with a small video emblem referring to a part of the video series by the same name. While some teachers may wish to supplement the books with these videotapes, these two volumes are excellent on their own. Middle-school students will probably use them for reports, while older readers with more background will want to read them through.-Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.