Description
Book SynopsisPresents the story of how the three chief architects of an influential ideology struggled with the implications of their own creation. This book offers historical context for contemporary debates about weapons of mass destruction and the post-Cold War international order.
Trade ReviewThe 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
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. The Historical Setting of Modern American Realism and the Thermonuclear Revolution 2. Reinhold Niebuhr and the Emergence of American Realism, 1932-44 3. Harsh Realism for an Atomic Age? Hans Morgenthau, 1946-52 4. Niebuhr and the Thermonuclear Dilemma, 1945-1963 5. Morgenthau and the Thermonuclear Dilemma 6. The Waltzian Turn 7. Retreat from Parsimony Conclusion Bibliography Index
