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The Cold War
As present-day political and military hostilities between Russia and the West threaten to escalate, The Cold War looks back at a global drama that positioned the world on the brink of nuclear Armageddon. Published 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism in Europe that led to the end of the Cold War, it is a graphic account of a confrontation that encompassed moments of high tension, such as the Berlin Crisis of 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the nuclear alerts of 1973 and 1983. Written by leading defence analyst, Dr Norman Friedman, The Cold War is a fully illustrated account of this period of crisis, subterfuge and power. Showing rare documents, such as a 1963 nuclear attack protection booklet produced for homeowners by the British government, and an official pack for US troops passing through Checkpoint Charlie, the reader can witness events as they unfolded. The result is a vivid account of a historical period that is echoed in today's geopolitical climate. The Cold War is the perfect companion with which to examine the events of this tense period of history - events that resonate ever strongly in this modern era of paranoia and surveillance.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
5 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Norman Friedman
105 books32 followersNorman Friedman is a prominent naval analyst and the author of more than thirty books covering a range of naval subjects, from warship histories to contemporary defense issues.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 6, 2019
Whenever people write, they often proofread their materials before publishing or turning it in, especially when their writings deal with past events. I can imagine the pressure nonfiction authors have to go through to make sure that everything they claim happened actually occurred. With the recent controversy involving Naomi Wolf’s book "Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love," it has made proofreading all the more necessary, especially if authors want readers to enjoy and come back to their books. In spite of all of this, it has got me thinking: can the lack of proofreading affect one’s enjoyment of a book? I will analyze this with "The Cold War: Threat, Paranoia, and Oppression From the Iron Curtain to the Collapse of Communism" by Norman Friedman because it includes some obvious errors, yet it contains a lot of well-presented information.
"The Cold War: Threat, Paranoia, and Oppression From the Iron Curtain to the Collapse of Communism" is exactly what one would think of a title like that. It is a general history of the Cold War, and what occurred on both sides. From a presentational standpoint, Friedman does this well. The book itself is divided up into short chapters, which make it easier to digest not only the text, but also the photos, the mini-biographies, and the translations. Speaking of the photos, they contain pictures of documents, leaflets, etc. from both sides. There is even a photo of a Stasi (East German internal security service) smelling jar. I thought that it was very cool. Friedman presents the information effectively in such a way that even people, who are not familiar with the “war,” would be very interested to read about it.
From a historical standpoint, it does not hold up as well as I wanted it to. Even though a lot of the information that Friedman discusses contains facts that I have previously heard in other books and tidbits that surprised me (the whole notion that the Soviet government relied on their intelligence to copy their enemies’ technology because they believed Western technology was better is something that I never have thought of before), every history book should contain a reference list. This list documents what print and/or online sources were used in the author’s research. This allows readers to look up said sources in order to see how credible they are, which in turn makes the information itself reliable. I completely understand that Friedman himself is knowledgeable about the Cold War since he is an American defense analyst who had advised the US government on the strategic competition between them and the Soviet government and has written over 40 books, including The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War, BUT unless the sources he used were top secret, without that reference list, he is denying himself a chance to prove to his readers that his work is truly trustworthy and accurate although it was nice of him to list the photo credits in the book.
When I had said that there are some obvious errors in this book, I really meant it. For example, in the mini-biography of founder and long-time chief of the East German foreign intelligence agency Markus Wolf, Friedman lists his birth and death years as 1923-1923. I could not believe it! I had to ask myself, “How could they have overlooked this?”
I also had look Wolf up to see when he actually died. In addition, Harry Truman’s mini-biography claims that he replaced Walter Ulbricht because “he accepted the West German opening to the East (Ostpolitik)” (p. 16). I thought that Truman did no such thing until I encountered Erich Honecker’s mini-biography, IN WHICH IT SAID THE EXACT SAME THING (p. 142)! Now, I KNOW that Truman did no such thing! Why didn’t Friedman have someone else look at his work and detect those errors? This in fact DID bother me while I read and thought about the book afterwards.
In conclusion, to answer the question I have proposed, the lack of proofreading did affect my ability to adore "The Cold War: Threat, Paranoia, and Oppression From the Iron Curtain to the Collapse of Communism". I still admire the facts themselves and how they were presented, yet the mistakes were so obvious that it raked my brain for a while. Nonetheless, I would still recommend the book to those who are interested in the Cold War both in the military and political aspects, but with a warning: have other books about the Cold War available as references for certain chapters.
"The Cold War: Threat, Paranoia, and Oppression From the Iron Curtain to the Collapse of Communism" is exactly what one would think of a title like that. It is a general history of the Cold War, and what occurred on both sides. From a presentational standpoint, Friedman does this well. The book itself is divided up into short chapters, which make it easier to digest not only the text, but also the photos, the mini-biographies, and the translations. Speaking of the photos, they contain pictures of documents, leaflets, etc. from both sides. There is even a photo of a Stasi (East German internal security service) smelling jar. I thought that it was very cool. Friedman presents the information effectively in such a way that even people, who are not familiar with the “war,” would be very interested to read about it.
From a historical standpoint, it does not hold up as well as I wanted it to. Even though a lot of the information that Friedman discusses contains facts that I have previously heard in other books and tidbits that surprised me (the whole notion that the Soviet government relied on their intelligence to copy their enemies’ technology because they believed Western technology was better is something that I never have thought of before), every history book should contain a reference list. This list documents what print and/or online sources were used in the author’s research. This allows readers to look up said sources in order to see how credible they are, which in turn makes the information itself reliable. I completely understand that Friedman himself is knowledgeable about the Cold War since he is an American defense analyst who had advised the US government on the strategic competition between them and the Soviet government and has written over 40 books, including The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War, BUT unless the sources he used were top secret, without that reference list, he is denying himself a chance to prove to his readers that his work is truly trustworthy and accurate although it was nice of him to list the photo credits in the book.
When I had said that there are some obvious errors in this book, I really meant it. For example, in the mini-biography of founder and long-time chief of the East German foreign intelligence agency Markus Wolf, Friedman lists his birth and death years as 1923-1923. I could not believe it! I had to ask myself, “How could they have overlooked this?”
I also had look Wolf up to see when he actually died. In addition, Harry Truman’s mini-biography claims that he replaced Walter Ulbricht because “he accepted the West German opening to the East (Ostpolitik)” (p. 16). I thought that Truman did no such thing until I encountered Erich Honecker’s mini-biography, IN WHICH IT SAID THE EXACT SAME THING (p. 142)! Now, I KNOW that Truman did no such thing! Why didn’t Friedman have someone else look at his work and detect those errors? This in fact DID bother me while I read and thought about the book afterwards.
In conclusion, to answer the question I have proposed, the lack of proofreading did affect my ability to adore "The Cold War: Threat, Paranoia, and Oppression From the Iron Curtain to the Collapse of Communism". I still admire the facts themselves and how they were presented, yet the mistakes were so obvious that it raked my brain for a while. Nonetheless, I would still recommend the book to those who are interested in the Cold War both in the military and political aspects, but with a warning: have other books about the Cold War available as references for certain chapters.
February 27, 2025
Good read with some interesting artifacts and photos and tidbits not in-depth but an preliminary for the uninitiated on the topic. Good at start and end with some matters irking me such as downplaying of the red scare and Mccarthy again being the boogeyman per usual also excusing Kennedys softness. Despite these flaws glad I got a copy and would recommend and read and look over again.
October 19, 2021
Incorrect dates and terribly worded sentences. Not to mention describing Afghanistan tribesmen as “primitive” - such a western colonial remark.
October 14, 2024
Despite some glaring typos, this book was informative. I learned a few things of which I was unaware.
May 21, 2020
Full review now up on the blog: https://www.thewritinggreyhound.co.uk...
Providing a comprehensive insight into both sides of the Cold War, this book is a great compact guide and a handy resource for those wishing to learn more about this period of history. The book also acts as a strong introduction to the subject, the ideal overview without getting too bogged down in the detail.
Each chapter explains a significant event in the duration of the war, with a useful timeline breaking it down further at the start of every chapter. This format ensures the information is delivered in easily-digestible bitesize chunks - ideal for reading on the go. Also dotted throughout are short biographies providing a quick overview of some of the key players of the Cold War. Of course, many of these personalities are well-known names, but it is still useful to understand the role they played in the war.
The book is quite short but this suits its compact nature as all the important information and key facts are delivered while avoiding unnecessary additions. The writing style is straightforward and to the point, which is always good when reading a factual book like this. There are also a few notable photographs in the centre pages of the book which really help to bring the events described throughout to life.
Overall, this book is a great introduction to the topic and an enjoyable opportunity to learn more about this period of recent history.
Providing a comprehensive insight into both sides of the Cold War, this book is a great compact guide and a handy resource for those wishing to learn more about this period of history. The book also acts as a strong introduction to the subject, the ideal overview without getting too bogged down in the detail.
Each chapter explains a significant event in the duration of the war, with a useful timeline breaking it down further at the start of every chapter. This format ensures the information is delivered in easily-digestible bitesize chunks - ideal for reading on the go. Also dotted throughout are short biographies providing a quick overview of some of the key players of the Cold War. Of course, many of these personalities are well-known names, but it is still useful to understand the role they played in the war.
The book is quite short but this suits its compact nature as all the important information and key facts are delivered while avoiding unnecessary additions. The writing style is straightforward and to the point, which is always good when reading a factual book like this. There are also a few notable photographs in the centre pages of the book which really help to bring the events described throughout to life.
Overall, this book is a great introduction to the topic and an enjoyable opportunity to learn more about this period of recent history.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews