American Foreign Policy since World War II

Synopsis

As distinctive as it has been, the Bush administration’s foreign policy still fits within Hook and Spanier’s coherent theme of American exceptionalism. Chances are that the Obama administration, no matter how different it may be, will also share this orientation in important ways, thereby giving your students the historical context they need to understand not just the past eight years, but the full history of American foreign policy since World War II.

This revision to their classic text is much more than a simple update. Careful editing and streamlining of key chapters keep the book relevant and accessible, while placing recent events in their proper perspective.

Key revisions include:

- Previously separate chapters on U.S. relations with the developing world and U.S. involvement in Vietnam have been combined to show the collision of East- West and North-South relations.

- Chapters on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are thoroughly updated.

- Full treatment is given to the current economic crisis.

- A new concluding chapter makes note of the changing of the guard from Bush to the Obama administration, and looks ahead to Obama’s leadership, strategic goals, and policy initiatives.

Students will also find abundant resources in new or updated tables, figures, and maps, as well as a robust set of appendixes and end-of-chapter materials, including a chronology of world events and annotated web resources.