Joseph Nye coined the term "soft power" in the late 1980s. It is now used frequently,and often incorrectly,by political leaders, editorial writers, and academics around the world. So what is soft power? Soft power lies in the ability to attract and persuade. Whereas hard power,the ability to coerce,grows out of a country's military or economic might, soft power arises from the attractiveness of…
At the dawn of the 21st century, it should be evident that the Cold War of 1945-1991 was but the first of its kind. Nichols urges the reader to consider previous resolutions before another such conflict arises. He asserts that the Cold War was essentially a clash of ideologies tempered by the ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation. Victory for the West came quietly, without the final and u…
This new edition of Michael H. Hunt's classic reinterpretation of American diplomatic history includes a preface that reflects on the personal experience and intellectual agenda behind the writing of the book, surveys the broad impact of the book's argument, and addresses the challenges to the thesis since the book's original publication. In the wake of 9/11 this interpretation is more pertinen…
Hook and Spanier's classic text celebrates its Twentieth Edition with more of the context and analysis that has long made it the standard for guiding students through the complexities of American foreign policy. With each new edition, recent developments confirm the book's overarching theme-that there is an American "style" of foreign policy imbued with a distinct sense of national exceptionali…