Mary Elise Sarotte

About the Author

Mary Elise Sarotte is Dean's Professor of History at the University of Southern California. A former White House Fellow, Humboldt Scholar, and journalist, she is the author of the prize-winning 1989: The Struggle to Create Post-Cold War Europe, also a Financial Times Book of the Year.

Includes the names: M. E. Sarotte, Mary Elise Sarotte

Works by Mary Elise Sarotte

Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate (2021) 100 copies

1989: The Struggle to Create Post-Cold War Europe (2009) 65 copies

Dealing with the Devil: East Germany, Détente, and Ostpolitik, 1969-1973 (2001) 16 copies

Nicht einen Schritt weiter nach Osten: Amerika, Russland und die wahre Geschichte der Nato-Osterweiterung (2021) 2 copies

A Broken Promise? What the West Really Told Moscow About NATO Expansion [journal article] 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

In Uncertain Times: American Foreign Policy after the Berlin Wall and 9/11 (Published in Association with the… (2011) — Contributor — 6 copies

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Common Knowledge

Gender: female
Nationality: USA

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Reviews

Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of… by M. E. Sarotte

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.

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rivkat | 3 other reviews | May 17, 2023 |

Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of… by M. E. 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 affairs and other issues, are reverberating now.… (more)

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LynnB | 3 other reviews | Mar 5, 2023 |

The Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin… by Mary Elise Sarotte

Very interesting perspective on an event I knew very little about beforehand. Is demonstrative of how even small catalysts can cause large events.

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bangerlm | 4 other reviews | Jan 18, 2023 |

Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of… by M. E. Sarotte

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.

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apende | 3 other reviews | Jul 12, 2022 |

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