Losing Our Souls: The American Experience in the Cold War - Hardcover

Pessen, Edward

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1566630371 ISBN 13: 9781566630375

Publisher: Ivan R. Dee, 1993

Synopsis

The first book to sum up the consequences of the cold war for Americans. A searching account of the costs of the cold war Ovictory' that we are celebrating―not only the material price but the blight on our ideas, ideals, and institutions. ―James MacGregor Burns

About this title

From the Back Cover

"The cold war", Edward Pessen writes, "was the most unusual war the United States ever fought". It was by far the longest of all American wars, he explains, but it was not a shooting war, and it had neither a precise beginning or ending. It produced United States policies which were bold, dynamic, and unprecedented. The swiftest glance at recent events seems to establish that the United States achieved its chief objectives: amidst the debris of communism and the Soviet empire, the United States stands alone as the sole remaining superpower. Yet, Mr. Pessen asks, victory at what cost? While political observers ponder the Soviet collapse, and historians continue to debate the origins of the cold war, scarcely anyone has considered the profound changes it wrought in American society. Losing Our Souls is the first book to sum up the consequences of the cold war for Americans - the shifting ideals of our approach to international affairs; the building of our nuclear arsenal; the tactics used to combat "communist subversion" throughout the world and within the United States; the transformation of the American economy in response to security demands. Carefully reviewing the evidence, and writing with the authority of a distinguished historian, Mr. Pessen charges that American cold war policy has been disastrous for many of our cherished values and institutions. In a powerful indictment of American leadership, he accuses our cold war policymakers of engaging in deplorable activities and of misrepresenting them to the American people - all in the name of anticommunism. Losing Our Souls is an important book that challenges official appraisals and offers a different perspective on our cold warexperience.

About the Author

Edward Pessen was for many years Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College and the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. His best-known books are Most Uncommon Jacksonians and The Log Cabin Myth.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 1566630371
• ISBN 13: 9781566630375
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 257