A Present of Things Past: Selected Essays

From Library Journal Draper, a veteran historian and critic and author of Present History ( LJ 5/15/83), has gathered some of his essays on the origins of the Cold War, Reagan's foreign policy, and Communism. He chides conservatives for unreal expectations as they rewrite the history of President Roosevelt, Yalta, and the start of the Cold War. American "hubris" and junta-style policy making account for the blunders of the 1980s. Opposing the Gorbachev gamble to change the Soviet system is a regressive Communist party, and Americans are advised not to expect swift systematic Soviet change. This collection is more convenient than necessary, as most articles previously appeared in the New York Review of Books. Those without the Review or interested in contemporary history may wish to purchase.- Ray Walser, U.S. Military Acad., West Point, N.Y.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product Description A collection of essays ranging from the reconsideration of World War II and foreign policy to American communism and Max Eitingon