Since the end of World War II more than forty years have passed without a global war. Regional conflicts have taken millions of lives, but the worst horror—nuclear war—has been avoided. This uneasy peace has been kept by two world powers vastly different from one another in geography, ideology, and political and economic systems. In American Foreign Policy Since World War II, eleventh edition, a comprehensive overview of U.S. foreign relations from 1945 to the present, John Spanier explores the differences between the United States and the Soviet Union and shows how their contrasting national styles contribute to the foreign policy successes and failures of each country.

The book examines the various manifestations of the cold war from its beginnings in postwar Europe to its gradual spread in the Third World and to the doorstep of the United States. Designating the Reagan era as cold war II, Spanier places in perspective recent developments in Central America and the Persian Gulf, enabling readers to see how these events fit into a pattern of superpower rivalry.

John Spanier holds a doctorate from Yale. Since joining the faculty of the University of Florida in Gainesville in 1957, Professor Spanier has lectured at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, the Naval War College, military service academies, and other universities. Among his other books is Games Nations Play, sixth edition, published in 1987 by CQ Press.