The Cold War

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-A retrospective look at the Cold War, detailing its beginning and end, as well as most of its significant events. The impact that the nuclear-arms race and regional conflicts had upon both superpowers is also discussed. Kort does an admirable job of including sufficient background information and profiles of key people. Written from the American perspective, his text describes how our nation's actions were usually taken as a result of real or perceived Soviet threats. He does make it clear that both countries paid a tremendous social and economic price as a result of the hostility. Arrangement is chronological so that readers can see how earlier events affected later action. Although this book won't attract casual readers, it will be useful for reports. It is a good companion to The Cold War (Greenhaven, 1992), which offers a full discussion of the debates that have raged about the American response to the Soviet threat throughout the entire period. Together, they provide YAs with a good overview of the struggle that occupied so much of the world's attention for 45 years.-Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO

Jeanne Triner

In this battle-by-battle history of the cold war, Kort takes what could be a fairly dry subject and maintains suspense by skillfully interweaving what we knew then with what we know now. Spy networks, covert operations, secret negotiations, the private concerns of the people in power, and the last-minute decisions that prevented the ultimate disaster were all covered up at the time. Here, however, events from the end of World War II through the breakup of the Soviet Union are put in both chronological and political perspective. The writing is scholarly but approachable, and the organization easy to follow, making it possible to focus on one event or on a chronological segment. Attribution is excellent, the index is adequate, and numerous black-and-white photos break up the text. This will be a valuable resource for high-school reports and a good starting point for young adults who want to understand what has led to the situation in Eastern Europe today.