Out of the shadow
Subtitle: George H.W. Bush and the end of the Cold War
By: Christopher Maynard.
Edition: 1st ed.
Series: Foreign relations and the presidency -- no. 9
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Published: 2008
Place of publication: College Station
Language: eng
Number of pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9781603440394
Subjects: Bush, George, -- 1924-; Bush, George, -- 1924- -- Influence; National Security Council (U.S.) -- History; Cold War; United States -- Foreign relations -- 1989-1993; United States -- Foreign relations -- Soviet Union; Soviet Union -- Foreign relations -- United States; Germany -- History -- Unification, 1990; Soviet Union -- History -- 1985-1991; Persian Gulf War, 1991
Description: In this look at the first Bush administration's handling of the end of the Cold War, author Christopher Maynard argues that George H. W. Bush made a fundamental shift in foreign policy regarding the Soviet Union. He believes historians have downplayed Bush's contribution, in part, because they have focused on the strong ideological rhetoric of Reagan and Gorbachev without looking at the day-to-day process of policymaking during the Cold War. This book incorporates a variety of important, previously unused sources, and its focused treatment of the topic will appeal to scholars interested in both the first Bush presidency and the Cold War--BOOK JACKET.

"As America watched the fall of the Berlin Wall with great enthusiasm, President George H. W. Bush called the incident simply "a good development." He knew that the Cold War was far from over and that bringing it to an end would require not only symbolic gestures but also practical diplomacy. During Bush's presidency (1989-93), the Berlin Wall fell, the Warsaw Pact dissolved, Germany was reunified, and the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Yet, many people believe the Cold War ended under Reagan and that Bush's foreign policy achievements were merely an extension of Reagan's policies. In this in-depth look at the Bush administration's handling of the end of the Cold War, author Christopher Maynard argues that Bush actually made a fundamental shift in foreign policy regarding the Soviet Union. In part, he believes, historians have downplayed Bush's contribution because they have focused on the strong ideological rhetoric of Reagan and Gorbachev without looking at the day-to-day process of policymaking during the Cold War. Out of the Shadow incorporates a variety of important, previously unused sources. Its focused treatment of the topic will appeal to scholars interested in both the first Bush presidency and the Cold War." -- Publisher's description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The primacy of the National Security Council : beyond containment in Europe; title: Bush and Gorbachev : the road to Malta; title: Personal diplomacy : the reunification of Germany; title: A glimpse of the post-Cold War world : the Persian Gulf War; title: "When you lose your best enemy" : the collapse of the Soviet Union; title: The prudent cold warrior : the foreign policy legacy of George Bush; title: Timeline of events : George Bush and the end of the Cold War.