To Build a Better World

September 2, 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.

August 16, 2019

In 1995, political scientists Zelikow and Rice published the influential study, Germany Unified and Europe Transformed. Here, they've updated and broadened that work, with former U.S. secretary of state Rice bringing much of her experience into their assessment of events and leaders. The central focus is on the significant changes in Europe between 1988 to 1992, though the authors also provide a useful overview and critique of global trade and foreign relations in the 1970s and 1980s. While German chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian president Vladimir Putin frame the book, the major players are former world leaders, such as Mikhail Gorbachev, George H.W. Bush, Helmut Kohl, Francois Mitterand, and Margaret Thatcher. The authors devote a long chapter to the choices made by Gorbachev that ultimately led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and revisit the dynamics of the reunification of Germany. A later section discusses the ongoing challenges in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the invasion of Iraq, the financial crisis of 2008, Brexit, and the Donald Trump presidency. Zelikow and Rice ask, "Can a confident America rise again?" They are hopeful but not entirely certain. VERDICT While scholarly, this work is written with a light touch and tells compelling stories about choices made by a number of countries and their leaders. It will appeal both to scholars of international politics and informed readers.--Thomas Karel, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, PA

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.