SKU: 16015422908

The Triumph of Improvisation: Gorbachev's Adaptability, Reagan's Engagement, and the End of the Cold War

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The Triumph of Improvisation: Gorbachev's Adaptability, Reagan's Engagement, and the End of the Cold WarIn The Triumph of Improvisation, James Graham Wilson takes a long view of the end of the Cold War, from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 to Operation Desert Storm in January 1991. Drawing on deep archival research and recently declassified papers, Wilson argues that adaptation, improvisation, and engagement by individuals in positions of power ended the specter of a nuclear holocaust. Amid ambivalence and uncertainty, Mikhail

In The Triumph of Improvisation, James Graham Wilson takes a long view of the end of the Cold War, from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 to Operation Desert Storm in January 1991. Drawing on deep archival research and recently declassified papers, Wilson argues that adaptation, improvisation, and engagement by individuals in positions of power ended the specter of a nuclear holocaust. Amid ambivalence and uncertainty, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, George Shultz, and George H. W. Bush--and a host of other actors--engaged with adversaries and adapted to a rapidly changing international environment and information age in which global capitalism recovered as command economies failed.

Eschewing the notion of a coherent grand strategy to end the Cold War, Wilson paints a vivid portrait of how leaders made choices; some made poor choices while others reacted prudently, imaginatively, and courageously to events they did not foresee. A book about the burdens of responsibility, the obstacles of domestic politics, and the human qualities of leadership, The Triumph of Improvisation concludes with a chapter describing how George H. W. Bush oversaw the construction of a new configuration of power after the fall of the Berlin Wall, one that resolved the fundamental components of the Cold War on Washington's terms.

--Christopher Maynard "Journal of American History"

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Published: 01/15/2015
ISBN: 9780801456831
Pages: 280
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 10.30h x 4.80w x 0.60d
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SKU: 16015422908

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I am looking forward to using this book with my great grandson out in the field to collect our States beautiful rocks. Very detailed and helpful, I don’t think I could have gotten a better book. Thanks for the hard work it took to write it.
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Rocks are clearly a beautiful part of Idaho
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This is an excellent resource for the casual and hardened rock hound, or collectors of pretty things as they drive through Idaho.
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Perfect Gift for a New Resident
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This Guide is in a first rate series which is well researched, practical and informative. Highly recommended!!
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Lexington, US
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Family healthy fun
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Pretty good have had many adventures w his other books as well
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Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2021

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