American Foreign Policy Since World War II

I had to buy this book for one of my classes in college. Usually textbooks are dry, boring, and not all that informative. However, I really enjoyed reading this and I have kept ahold of it because it contains a great deal of information. It's interesting, never really all that dry and boring, and it will help any college student who is taking a class on international relations and U.S. foreign policy. If your professor hasn't already recommended this, I highly recommend it. It's also a great book for anyone who is a history buff or just interested in international relations and foreign policy.

Now in its 16th edition, American Foreign Policy Since World War II has become one of the most respected guides on the ins and outs US foreign engagement in the 20th century. Combining theory and insight to this historical perspective, Hook and Spanier have created a very thorough book that takes a balanced look at both the domestic and international issues that have shaped US foreign policy. This book is comprehensive and comprehensible, making it perfect as leisure reading for those interested in international politics or a text for an international relations course. The fourteen chapters: 1. The American Approach to Foreign Policy 2. From World War to Cold War 3. Containment: From Theory to Practice 4. Developing Countries in the Crossfire 5. Vietnam and the Cost of Containment 6. The Era of Superpower Detente 7. Jimmy Carter and World-Order Politics 8. The Revival of Superpower Confrontation 9. The End of the Cold War 10. America's "Unipolar Moment" 11. Old Tensions in a New Order 12. The Shifting European Landscape 13. America under Fire 14. A World of Trouble are useful individually to address a specific issue, region, or time period, and as a set to provide a broad overview.

Steven W. Hook and John Spanier's book on American foreign policy since WWII is a great introduction for those seeking a detailed yet concise elucidation. The authors exploit all levels of analysis (unit, state, and system), and posit a "peculiar national style" and a degree of continuity as underlying the nature of US foreign policy since 1945. Despite the lucanae bound to be found in a wide-ranging account, Hook and Spanier's book is still an excellent building block for understanding post-WWII US foreign policy as well as basic international relations' theory.