The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War - Rilegato

Steil, Benn

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 1501102370 ISBN 13: 9781501102370

Casa editrice: Simon & Schuster, 2018

Riassunto

Winner of the 2019 New-York Historical Society Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American History
Winner of the 2018 American Academy of Diplomacy Douglas Dillon Award
Shortlisted for the 2018 Duff Cooper Prize in Literary Nonfiction
Honorable Mention (runner-up) for the 2019 ASEES Marshall D. Shulman Prize

The award-winning author of The Battle of Bretton Woods reveals the gripping history behind the Marshall Plan—told with verve, insight, and resonance for today.

In the wake of World War II, with Britain’s empire collapsing and Stalin's on the rise, US officials under new secretary of state George C. Marshall set out to reconstruct western Europe as a bulwark against communist authoritarianism. Their massive, costly, and ambitious undertaking would confront Europeans and Americans alike with a vision at odds with their history and self-conceptions. In the process, they would drive the creation of NATO, the European Union, and a Western identity that continues to shape world events.

Focusing on the critical years 1947 to 1949, Benn Steil’s thrilling account brings to life the seminal episodes marking the collapse of postwar US-Soviet relations—the Prague coup, the Berlin blockade, and the division of Germany. In each case, we see and understand like never before Stalin’s determination to crush the Marshall Plan and undermine American power in Europe.

Given current echoes of the Cold War, as Putin’s Russia rattles the world order, the tenuous balance of power and uncertain order of the late 1940s is as relevant as ever. The Marshall Plan provides critical context into understanding today’s international landscape. Bringing to bear fascinating new material from American, Russian, German, and other European archives, Steil’s account will forever change how we see the Marshall Plan and the birth of the Cold War. A polished and masterly work of historical narrative, this is an instant classic of Cold War literature.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

"Trenchant and timely...builds intellectual excitement...Steil has written an ambitious, deeply researched narrative that not only delineates the interlocking gears of international politics and economics in early post-war Europe but also introduces a large cast of statesmen, spies and economists that perhaps only Dickens could have corralled with ease."—The New York Times Book Review

“[A] brilliant book...The story of the Marshall Plan has been recounted many times before, including by those who were its architects and thus, like Dean Acheson, “Present at the Creation.” But Mr. Steil’s is by far the best study yet, because it is so wise and so balanced in its judgments...The maturity and surety of Mr. Steil’s book is nowhere more in evidence than in his final chapter...“—Paul Kennedy, The Wall Street Journal

“This is a gripping, complex, and critically important story that is told with clarity and precision. The book is superbly documented and reflects an extraordinary level of research.”—Christian Science Monitor 

"Benn Steil has made clarifying complex subjects a specialty: first with his well-received Battle of Bretton Woods, and now with this comprehensive history of the Marshall Plan. Drawing on an equally keen grasp of diplomacy, economics and grand strategy, Steil sets a new standard for our understanding, not just of the Cold War, but also the post-Cold War era, where the future of Europe and the role of the United States in it are once again at stake. An outstanding—and certainly timely—accomplishment.”—John Lewis Gaddis, Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military and Naval History, Yale University

"The Marshall Plan is elegant in style and impressive in insights. Steil... has an enviable gift for presenting complex economic and geopolitical issues in crisp, readable prose."—Tony Barber, The Financial Times

“[B]ig, serious, and thoroughly intelligent . . . Steil embeds [the Marshall Plan] in a sharp and critical political history of the first years of the cold war itself.  In his final chapters, he looks far beyond the period of the Marshall Plan and discusses parallels and contrasts with the twenty-first century scene.”—Neal Ascherson, New York Review of Books

“Even readers who consider themselves well-versed on what became the Marshall Plan will be gripped by the details in Benn Steil’s retelling of just how Mr. Truman’s idea became reality...Mr. Steil, an economist for the Council on Foreign Relations, is at his narrative best in recounting how the program was put together.”—Washington Times 

"It may be hard to imagine someone hurrying home to curl up with a work of political history, but Benn Steil’s fascinating new book The Marshall Plan could change that. Steil, author of the acclaimed The Battle of Bretton Woods, has given us a thoroughly researched and well-written account of the crucial years of 1947-49 and formation of the Marshall Plan.... his expertise energizes his thoughtful and meticulous writing style....will appeal to history buffs in general and those seeking a definitive record of America’s first diplomatic confrontation with Soviet Russia in particular."—USA Today

“In his new book, Benn Steil tells a double story: that of the launch of the Marshall Plan, the unprecedented American program to help rebuild Europe after World War II, and also of the various Soviet attempts to thwart and counter it. Enlivened by brilliantly-wrought pen portraits, this gripping narrative adds a whole new perspective on one of the most fateful periods in world history.”—Liaquat Ahamed, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lords of Finance

"A fresh perspective on the Marshall Plan....Though scholars have covered the subject many times before, general readers will do well to choose this lively, astute account....Steil writes a vivid, opinionated narrative full of colorful characters, dramatic scenarios, villains, and genuine heroes, and the good guys won. It will be the definitive account for years to come."—Kirkus, Starred Review

L'autore:

Benn Steil is senior fellow and director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the author of The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War. His previous book, the prize-winning Battle of Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order, was called “a triumph of economic and diplomatic history” by the Financial Times, “a superb history” by The Wall Street Journal, and “the gold standard on its subject” by The New York Times. He lives in New York with his wife and two boys.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Simon & Schuster
• Data di pubblicazione: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1501102370
• ISBN 13: 9781501102370
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 608