Superpowers: A Short History

The author's broad learning and long historical perspective make this thoughtful book a welcome corrective to the shallow triumphalism that has marred much recent writing on the subject. This is a perceptive and provocative book -- David S. Painter, Georgetown University
"The Superpowers" traces the development of the USA and Russia from 1898 through to 2000, placing the Cold War, from inception to ending, into the wider social, economic and political context.
"The Superpowers" explores the intertwining history of the two powers chronologically and includes discussion of:
*the inheritance of the two great powers and their imperial background
* World War One and the Russian Revolution
*Capitalism and Socialism
* World War Two and its impact
* the conflicts in Berlin, Czechoslovakia, Vietnam and Afghanistan
*Perestroika and the end of the USSR
* the significance of the events of 1991 and their legacy.
This is the first history of the two major participants and their relationship throughout the twentieth century.
Paul Dukes is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Aberdeen. His many books include "A History of Russia" and "Russia, 1613-1801,"