Mary Elise Sarotte

A very engaging and topical look at the implications of the reunification of Germany and the collapse of the Soviet Union for peace and security. The author has undertaken a lot of research and sets the events of the post-Cold War period into a context that shows (among other things) why Ukraine is not a member of NATO and why Russia and the U.S. have not become collaborators, as early signs indicated they might have. Fascinating look at recent history and how choices made then, in foreign show more affairs and other issues, are reverberating now. show less

Interesting and depressing history of NATO expansion in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, where overconfident Americans in particular cheered the expansion of NATO as if Russia couldn’t do anything about it. This isn’t to excuse Russia’s actions in Ukraine, but to explain why NATO expansion proceeded as it did instead of different security arrangements or even economic integration first.

This is a well written, well researched recounting of how a little bit of arrogance by the West following the collapse of the Soviet Union was a missed opportunity leading directly to the current crisis in Ukraine-as George Kennan predicted, and the inching the hands of the Doomsday Clock to a potential erection. It will probably all work out, but if it does we will have dodged Armageddon.

Loved it. Obviously outstanding/timely book for our current 2022 situation. Constant engaging anecdote mixed with effortless narrative energy moving story forward. At times, the book may have had a bit of the inside journalist type reporting (rather than straight history), but given the high level content throughout, that was worth it. I did not discern a tilt or an ideological axe to grind, causing me to just read and accept the authors judgement throughout.