Cold War

Grade 10 Up-This collection of speeches, or in some cases, excerpts of speeches, spans from Winston Churchill's 1946 address in which he introduced the term "iron curtain" through the comments of Wolfgang Thierse in 2002 when he presented three pieces of the Berlin Wall to the Secretary General of the United Nations. Most are by political leaders presenting to the U.S. Senate or the United Nations. Each selection is preceded by a biographical sketch and an introduction to the political circumstances being addressed. In the case of Che Guevara, the writer of the introduction falls into the trap of using the revolutionary leader's own language in referring to an "attack by U.S. imperialists." In a few cases, it would have been helpful to point out inflammatory language or misleading assertions in the speeches. An ample, well-written introduction covers the history of conflicts during the Cold War, yet it does make note of the cooperation of the U.S. and U.S.S.R. in space. Unfortunately, it errs in stating that the Soviet Union was dismantled in 1989 and in paraphrasing Nikita Khrushchev. The appendix includes biographies that slightly expand on the introductions to each selection and a chronology of events from 1943 through 1991. This useful volume provides easy access to speeches by Harry S. Truman, Joseph McCarthy, Margaret Chase Smith, Mao Tse-tung, Nikita Khrushchev, Albert Einstein, Mikhail Gorbachev, and others.
Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 6-12. Part of the Great Speeches in History series, this collection brings together speeches by some of the most distinguished political leaders of the twentieth century together with political analysis that traces the West's volatile relationship with Communist forces. From Winston Churchill's "An Iron Curtain Divides Europe" to Che Guevera on Yankee imperialism and Wolfgang Thierse's observations about the fall of the Berlin Wall, the chronologically arranged selections are organized into five chapters that focus on mounting fears about Communism, the international crisis and coercion, the menace of nuclear war, the struggle for peace, and the Berlin Wall. Each speech is introduced by a brief historical and political discussion, and a general introduction gives a helpful overview and precise historical context. The combination of the original speeches and the present-day analysis provides a fine starting point for reports and class discussion. Besides a few photos and maps, the text includes a chronology, a lengthy appendix of speakers' biographies, and a detailed bibliography. Roger Leslie
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