A work of truly distinguished scholarship that makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of American policy towards the Soviet Union since World War II. It should be read by all those who are interested in the origins of the postwar U.S. commitment to geopolitics and concerned about its future orientation. Includes an Index.

(Key Words: History, Foreign Relations, Dean Acheson, Cuba, Dwight Eisenhower, George Kennan, Nikita Khruschev, NATO, Dean Rusk, Harry Truman, Vietnam, John Lewis Gaddis).