The World of the Cold War: 1945–1991

A sweeping, original history of the Cold War, from an acclaimed historian of the USSR

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 and unique perspective, Zubok argues that the Cold War, often seen as an existential battle between capitalist democracy and totalitarian communism, has long been misunderstood. He challenges the popular Western narrative that economic superiority and democratic values led the USA to victory. Instead, he looks beyond the familiar images of East-West rivalry, shining a light on the impact of non-Western actors and placing the war in the context of global decolonization, 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.

Review

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... Makes 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 Moyn

About the Author

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.