Publishers Weekly
09/02/2019
Diplomat and professor Zelikow and former secretary of state Rice follow their joint work on German reunification, Germany United and Europe Transformed, with an exploration of the policy decisions, made and unmade, that led to the end of the Cold War and the creation of a unified Europe in 1988–1992. The authors, who were both involved in these decisions, excel at analytical history, breaking down various political, diplomatic, and economic factors in Mikhail Gorbachev’s democratic reforms (which hastened the end of the Soviet Union through a failed 1991 coup), the opening of the Berlin Wall, and the development of the E.U. as it exists today. Insights into the personalities of the main political players are scant, but the reader is given occasional reassessments of the conventional wisdom on figures such as President George H. W. Bush, and the authors intersperse brief firsthand perspectives from key decision makers, such as Secretary of State James A. Baker and national security advisor Brent Scowcroft. Zelikow and Rice’s thoughtful and honest assessment, largely avoiding wonkishness, lays a clear through line from the diplomatic successes of the 1980s and ’90s to the political environment of today. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
PRAISE FOR PHILIP ZELIKOW AND CONDOLEEZZA RICE:
"Zelikow and Rice have drawn on thousands of still-classified documents in the American archives. But their industry has not stopped there: to tell the Soviet and German sides of the story, they consulted the East German and Russian archives and interviewed a host of European leaders. The quality of their writing and the depth of their research ensure that their exemplary study will serve as the starting point for all future work on German foreign policy after the Cold War."—New York Times Book Review
"An important behind-the-scenes account of how East Germany was folded into West Germany at breakneck speed — an event that precipitated the demise of the Soviet Union."—The New Yorker
"For the first time, the inside story — what the policymakers thought and did behind the scenes — is recounted by two participants, using interviews and secret documents...[The book] conveys the sweeping changes devised by a handful of leaders and their aides as they sought to capitalize on a rare, momentary acceleration of history. It also captures the candid exchanges among leaders about long-range fundamentals in Europe."—International Herald Tribune
"Zelikow and Rice's thoughtful and honest assessment, largely avoiding wonkishness, lays a clear through line from the diplomatic successes of the 1980s and '90s to the political environment of today."—Publishers Weekly
MARCH 2020 - AudioFile
Arthur Morey sounds like a news commentator as he narrates this sweeping historical study subtitled “Choices to End the Cold War and Create a Global Commonwealth.” Author Zelikow, former counselor to the U.S. State Department, teams up with Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state, to explain the politics and economics of Europe and the United States from 1988 through the early 1990s, with particular emphasis on the careers of Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin. Morey’s unwavering narration maintains the listener’s attention while recounting events and reading documents that reach back to WWI and into the present, emphasizing partnerships, principles, and practicality, and marking the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
