Description
The Second World War put an end to America's historical isolationism. Three American thinkers-Reinhold Niebuhr, Hans Morgenthau, and Kenneth Waltz-developed a modern strategic framework that sought to introduce Americans to the harsher realities of international politics. Yet even as the United States began to embrace this new Realism, atomic weaponry threatened to make it absurd. This engrossing story of how the three chief architects of a powerful ideology struggled with the implications of their own creation offers crucial context for contemporary debates about the resort to war and weapons of mass destruction.
About the Author
Campbell Craig is professor of international relations at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. He is now in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Southampton
Reviews
The most compelling account to date of how realism gave way to neorealism in the face of a nuclearized world. -- Lawrence D. Freedman Foreign Affairs Craig's book is to be commended for shedding light on how three important thinkers dealt with one of the most important issues of international politics... an important contribution to the intellectual history of the field of International Relations. -- Brian Schmidt International Affairs An ambitious and fascinating work of intellectual history. -- Keir Lieber Ethics and International Affairs This is a highly commendable study. It will be essential reading. -- Ian Jackson Journal of American Studies Craig's treatment of these thinkers is subtle, insightful, and revealing. A more accessible introduction to realist thought would be hard to imagine. -- H. W. Brands American Historical Review Campbell Craig has written a well-researched and cogent account. -- Benjamin A. Kleinerman Journal of Conflict Studies Breathes fresh air into the stultifying atmosphere of realist theory. -- William E. Scheuerman Constellations Craig's book provides a fine example of how substantial intellectual history can contribute to an engagement with contemporary political dilemmas. -- Michael C. Williams Contemporary Political Theory Interesting and thought-provoking. -- Clifford Angell Bates Jr Political Studies Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780231123495
Author Campbell Craig
Format Paperback
Page Count 216
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press