The Pragmatic Superpower: Winning the Cold War in the Middle East

Nonfiction, History, Middle East, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International
Cover of the book The Pragmatic Superpower: Winning the Cold War in the Middle East by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon ISBN: 9780393285567
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: April 18, 2016
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
ISBN: 9780393285567
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: April 18, 2016
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

A bold reexamination of U.S. influence in the Middle East during the Cold War.

The Arab Spring, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Iraq war, and the Syrian civil war—these contemporary conflicts have deep roots in the Middle East’s postwar emergence from colonialism.

In The Pragmatic Superpower, foreign policy experts Ray Takeyh and Steven Simon reframe the legacy of U.S. involvement in the Arab world from 1945 to 1991 and shed new light on the makings of the contemporary Middle East. Cutting against conventional wisdom, the authors argue that, when an inexperienced Washington entered the turbulent world of Middle Eastern politics, it succeeded through hardheaded pragmatism—and secured its place as a global superpower.

Eyes ever on its global conflict with the Soviet Union, America shrewdly navigated the rise of Arab nationalism, the founding of Israel, and seminal conflicts including the Suez War and the Iranian revolution. Takeyh and Simon reveal that America’s objectives in the region were often uncomplicated but hardly modest. Washington deployed adroit diplomacy to prevent Soviet infiltration of the region, preserve access to its considerable petroleum resources, and resolve the conflict between a Jewish homeland and the Arab states that opposed it.

The Pragmatic Superpower provides fascinating insight into Washington’s maneuvers in a contest for global power and offers a unique reassessment of America’s cold war policies in a critical region of the world. Amid the chaotic conditions of the twenty-first century, Takeyh and Simon argue that there is an urgent need to look back to a period when the United States got it right. Only then will we better understand the challenges we face today.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A bold reexamination of U.S. influence in the Middle East during the Cold War.

The Arab Spring, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Iraq war, and the Syrian civil war—these contemporary conflicts have deep roots in the Middle East’s postwar emergence from colonialism.

In The Pragmatic Superpower, foreign policy experts Ray Takeyh and Steven Simon reframe the legacy of U.S. involvement in the Arab world from 1945 to 1991 and shed new light on the makings of the contemporary Middle East. Cutting against conventional wisdom, the authors argue that, when an inexperienced Washington entered the turbulent world of Middle Eastern politics, it succeeded through hardheaded pragmatism—and secured its place as a global superpower.

Eyes ever on its global conflict with the Soviet Union, America shrewdly navigated the rise of Arab nationalism, the founding of Israel, and seminal conflicts including the Suez War and the Iranian revolution. Takeyh and Simon reveal that America’s objectives in the region were often uncomplicated but hardly modest. Washington deployed adroit diplomacy to prevent Soviet infiltration of the region, preserve access to its considerable petroleum resources, and resolve the conflict between a Jewish homeland and the Arab states that opposed it.

The Pragmatic Superpower provides fascinating insight into Washington’s maneuvers in a contest for global power and offers a unique reassessment of America’s cold war policies in a critical region of the world. Amid the chaotic conditions of the twenty-first century, Takeyh and Simon argue that there is an urgent need to look back to a period when the United States got it right. Only then will we better understand the challenges we face today.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book Psychotherapy Essentials To Go: Achieving Psychotherapy Effectiveness by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book In Search of the Christian Buddha: How an Asian Sage Became a Medieval Saint by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman: Conservation Heroes of the American Heartland by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book Paper: Paging Through History by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book Full Upright and Locked Position: Not-So-Comfortable Truths about Air Travel Today by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book Mind Your Manors: Tried-and-True British Household Cleaning Tips by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book The Story of Western Science: From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book Schnitzler's Century: The Making of Middle-Class Culture 1815-1914 by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book Eating Words: A Norton Anthology of Food Writing by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book Agents of Innocence: A Novel by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
Cover of the book The Source: How Rivers Made America and America Remade Its Rivers by Ray Takeyh, Steven Simon
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy