American Foreign Policy Since World War II (American Foreign Policy Since World War II)

Rating:
Summary: Building Blocks
Review: Steven W. Hook and John Spanier's book on American foreign policy since WWII is a great introduction to 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.

Hook and Spanier are political scientists. Their greatest historical knowledge seems to be on the Cold War. They lack the in-depth knowledge of specialized historians about certain regions of the world. As a result, they often seem to rely upon deductive analysis derived from assumptions, rather than critical understanding of events, to explain regional conflict and the American response. They also tend to overstate American importance or influence in conflict resolution in places like the Middle East and the Subcontinent.

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.

Rating:
Summary: The Classic Account of US Foreign Policy
Review: This is perhaps the best introductory book to American Foreign Policy. As such, it is constantly referred to, and should be read for that reason alone. But there is more to this book than that. It is a readable, well-analyzed account, that draws upon both political realism and internal American attributes to explain US policy abroad. Spanier's account had changed dramatically over the years from edition to edition reflecting the debate of the times. But there has always been a certain pro-American core to it, and that core remains in this book as well. This will certainly cause controversy, as will many of his propositions, but this book remains the best place to start.