America's Half-Century: United States Foreign Policy in the Cold War and After (American Moment)

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Summary: Wallerstein is just the framework... well fleshed out histor
Review: As noted by other reviewers, this book is framed around a Wallersteinian model of core and periphery. However, that is no reason to deride its excellent content. I have read numereous other great volumes on American Foreign Policy (it was my undergraduate specialization); however, this book does a nice job of putting together the intricacies of America's forey into a bigger world.

The only criticsm I can offer is that it is a sweeping look at 50 years of colorful history, and thus leaves ot some details important to serious scholars of USFP. However, if you are unknowledgeable about the subject and want to know how the current war in Iraq fits into the US overarching scheme for a liberal capitalist world give this book a spin. I couldn't put it down.

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Summary: More ideology than history
Review: The author makes use of ideologically motivated platitudes throughout the book, such as "it was never the destruction of Nazi Germany per se that was the American war aim; it was the prevention of any one power from dominating Europe and limiting American access to it." (p. 37) The thousands of Americans who gave their lives in WWII would probably beg to differ. A bunch of neo-Marxist Wallersteinian mumbo-jumbo. Its a shame so many impressionable minds are forced by their professors to read this junk.

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Summary: Marxist Clap-trap
Review: This book is nothing but often-discounted left-wing theories. I have to read it for an International Relations course; don't read it unless you have to.

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Summary: Outstanding, provocative overview of US foreign policy
Review: This is one of the best books available tracing the political and economic history of U.S. foreign policy since the end of World War II. I use it on a regular basis in my American Foreign Policy course and students enjoy McCormick's clarity and provocative insights,as he does a masterful job in linking economic and political power in the shaping of U.S. foreign policy.