The Cold War

by Michael Kerrigan

“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia” – Winston Churchill, 5 March 1946

Following the Allies’ victory in World War II, the European continent was soon divided into two broad zones of influence, with Eastern Europe coming under communist Soviet control, and the west under the oversight of the liberal democracies led by the United States. What developed over the next 40 years was a military and ideological stand-off that defined Europe and much of the world until 1989. In countries such as Germany, the Cold War divided families between the two zones of control. The two opponents competed for global dominance, building up ever greater arsenals of nuclear weapons, funding and fighting costly proxy wars in Southeast Asia, Africa and Central America, deploying espionage and trade embargoes, and even seeking technological advantage in space exploration, which became known as the “Space Race”.

The Cold War provides a pictorial examination of this crucial era in 20th century history, offering the reader an instant understanding of the key events and figures in this 40-year period through 150 dramatic photographs.

Genres: History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2023

About the author

Michael Kerrigan is a seasoned freelance writer and editor with over thirty years of experience across a wide spectrum of publishing work, from advertising and catalogue copy to book blurbs and specialist nonfiction. A prolific author, he has written around sixty full-length books on subjects ranging from ancient warfare and Slavic myth to modern architecture and the science of consciousness, all aimed at a general readership. He contributed a weekly Books in Brief column to The Scotsman for two decades and has reviewed extensively for the Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, and Financial Times.

Reviews

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

The good and the bad – well, the fine and the slightly less than that – are evident really early on here, in this pictorial history narrative. I knew the visuals would be well-researched and -presented, with the Amber Books name attached to this. I had a good inkling the storytelling would be decent at least as well. And even in the early 1940s I was learning things about the world I had no idea of, from a brief mention of the Greek wars, to the fact some thought East and West Germany might only be a temporary split, to calm things down post-war. Of course the Iron Curtain remained unflappable.

The big issue here is that the layout smacks of budget business, and of things slightly underthought. You get a chunk of text, then pages and pages of the visuals – all with their own captions, that as typical don't make a small part of the pages up – and then there's the last paragraph of the subject you thought you'd been reading about. It's not egregious widow-making, if that's the term to borrow, but it really can interrupt the flow of things – especially if, unlike me, you'd not learnt to leave the visuals and captions for a second pass. And I don't think it was something unavoidable, either, given the wide blank header on each text page.

So this could easily come across as a bitty, fractured story, when to all intents and purposes it's a very easily read, flowing narrative that takes us from Cuba and many other places in that corner of the world, through Angola, to Vietnam and Korea and of course all the ins and outs to be had from Washington, Moscow and Beijing bullying off against each other. I can't see this being a failure with any student, GCSE level or above – as much as the subject is or is not studied these days, this deserves a place as a primer on the topic to many, or text book back-up for young academics everywhere. It really was a quick purview that managed to pack a heck of a lot in, and for a general browse kind of book was superbly informative.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although World War II seemed to settle many things once and for all, this was just the grim start to another longer battle not only for Europe but also across the entire world. “The Cold War” by Michael Kerrigan captures the images of this time as the USSR and the USA competed for global domination and/or survival against each other. Through pictures and commentary, we learn how these WWII allies quickly turned on each other, how they competed not only in military terms but also economics, science, sports, and many other areas, how they fought proxy wars in Asia and central America to show the dominance of their respective ideologies. And finally how all of this came to a crashing end in the late 1980s/early 1990s as the communist system could no longer handle its people.

This is my fourth title (or so) that I’ve reviewed from Amber Books, and the one consistent theme is that they let the pictures tell the story, the captions and verbiage is just to help you understand the photos. And what wonderful pictures they are! Black and white, posed and sudden snapshots, deep moments of history and everyday life. Some we have seen a thousand times, but they yet can give us a chill… the one lone man stopping a column of Chinese tanks will forever be a portrait of courage.

My only (minor) complaint is that many, many of these pictures have been seen elsewhere, several are actually quite iconic. It is nice to have them all gathered together in one volume, but it would have been nice to see more relatively unknown photos. But for those who don’t understand or haven’t lived through the cold war, this is a great peek into how the world lived for almost 50 years.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Amber Books Ltd, Amber Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Lachlan Finlayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a history of the Cold War from the 1940s until the 1990s. Although largely a book of photographs, there is also abundant text to provide historical context, explanations and commentary. The book succeeds in that the photographs are interesting and well selected. Some are well known, others less so. Some subjects are well known people and events; other are of more unknown people, living through turbulent times.

The book is divided into decades; an arbitrary division, but it seems to make sense given the events and how we remember them today. For anyone looking for an overview of the Cold War, this book is a success. It presents a global picture, including all the main events and many smaller events. Implications of events and outcomes are presented in a largely objective manner. As well as military aspects of the Cold War, the book covers the politics, cultures, economics, arts, entertainment, sport and other aspects related to the times.

I was impressed with this book. I expected it to be a book of photographs. It is so much more. The text provides excellent context, commentary and explanations. A fine albeit brief summary of the Cold War. The book capture the famous as well as the lesser known or unknown people caught up in local events which had echos around the world and over the decades since the Second World War. These events resonate with us today and the world faces somewhat similar challenges.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cold War by Michael Kerrigan is a nice overview of key events of the cold war through text and photographs.

While the old history student in me loves detailed history books, I am also very fond of books like this that don't zoom in too far and present a broad view of a period. So often we can be so focused on a specific aspect of a period we forget how it all ties together. Whether you're a scholar who needs to step back and reacquaint yourself with the big picture or someone with a more informal interest, this volume offers just what you need.

I think this will be of particular interest for those who know the way this period has been taught, which is to say without much depth and from a distinct perspective, and want to know more. While there isn't a great deal of depth here, the key events and names are here, with enough depth to understand how they relate. From there, you will have the basics with which to find more detailed information.

As usual, for both Amber Books and Kerrigan, the photographs are wonderful. If you enjoy historically important images to highlight what you read, you will love these pictures. As much as I love coffee table books with beautiful pictures, a book with pictures that supplement my understanding of history holds a special place in my heart.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Matthew Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading about history and this was an exceptional book from the many amazing photographs to the brief, yet clear, descriptions of the expansive conflicts and tensions that came to be defined as the Cold War. The book gave me a lot of insight into the many aggressions the American government justified under the guise of preventing the “Domino” effect of spreading communism. It is a chilling period of history made accessible to many and I highly recommend this book to those wanting an introduction into this period of history.

[Christian Finch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of photographs and text detailing the major events of the Cold War divided into a chapter for each decade. I didn’t feel that there was blame for starting the Cold War or credit given for ending it. A refreshing change from popular Cold War memories that blame Stalin and give all the credit to Reagan. The photographs are top notch. An enjoyable work.

[Christopher Sherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty informative, I feel like it could go in depth in a few general areas. Still a good and basic book about the subject with photos.