America in the World: The Historiography of American Foreign Relations since 1941

Description

This volume includes historiographical surveys of American foreign relations since 1941 by some of the country's leading historians. Some of the essays offer sweeping overviews of the major trends in the field of foreign/international relations history. Others survey the literature on US relations with particular regions of the world or on the foreign policies of presidential administrations. The result is a comprehensive assessment of the historical literature on US foreign policy that highlights recent developments in the field.

Frank Costigliola is Professor of History at the University of Connecticut. He is the author of Roosevelt's Lost Alliances: How Personal Politics Helped Start the Cold War (2012); France and the United States: The Cold War Alliance since World War II (1992); and Awkward Dominion: American Political, Economic, and Cultural Relations with Europe, 1919-1933 (1984). Professor Costigliola is a former president of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, and the NEH. Michael J. Hogan is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Illinois, Springfield. Hogan is the author of A Cross of Iron: Harry S. Truman and the Origins of the National Security State, 1945-1954 (2000); Informal Entente: The Private Structure of Cooperation in Anglo-American Economic Diplomacy, 1918-1928 (1977); and The Marshall Plan: America, Britain, and the Reconstruction of Western Europe, 1947-1952 (1987). He is co-editor of Explaining American Foreign Relations History, 2nd edition (with Thomas G. Paterson, Cambridge, 2003). Professor Hogan is a former president of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, and served for fifteen years as editor of its journal, Diplomatic History.

'As the Cold War recedes ever further into the past, it may seem to be carrying with it all hopes of staying abreast of US foreign relations history scholarship, which has been rushing forward in uncharted directions. This much anticipated update to America in the World does far more than steer us through the surging waters of the post-9/11 era; it provides sharp new perspectives on enduring concerns. An indispensable guide for newcomers, a valuable reference work for experts, and a model of historiographical reflection by any standard, this collection provides an unparalleled map to the great debates and interpretive turns that have shaped this vital field.' Kristin Hoganson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 'This collection of essays is unequivocally a worthy follow-up to the 1995 edition. A galaxy of the most exciting and innovative as well as expert and distinguished historians of US foreign relations comprise the contributors. They explore topics that reflect not only the most recent historiography but also the healthy evolution if not transformation of the field's range and vision. This is an absolutely essential source for graduate students, which senior scholars will find equally valuable.' Richard H. Immerman, Temple University 'If you are interested in the history of US foreign relations and want to get a sense of the most recent interpretive trends, this is the book you must own. In this volume, influential historians succinctly explain and assess the newest themes and methods that shape our current understanding of the international history of the United States.' Melvyn Leffler, University of Virginia 'This welcome update, with new and revised essays by leading scholars of American international relations, provides state-of-the-field and historiographical evaluations of American foreign policy since 1941. In its breadth of coverage on US relations with all areas of the world, analysis of key time periods and events such as the Cold War and Vietnam War, and critical evaluation of the state of the field, the second edition of America in the World is a must-read for all scholars and students of recent American history.' David F. Schmitz, Robert Allen Skotheim Chair of History, Whitman College 'The purpose of this new edition, write the editors Frank Costigliola and Michael J. Hogan, is to demonstrate 'how far the field has come and what still needs to be done'. Fourteen essays by eminent scholars do just that. ... Graduate students and professors will find America in the World a first-rate review of the historiography and future of diplomatic history.' Scott Kaufman, The Journal of American History