As distinctive as it has been, the Bush administration′s foreign policy still fits within Hook and Spanier′s coherent theme of American exceptionalism. Chances are that the Obama administration, no matter how different it may be, will also share this orientation in important ways, thereby giving your students the historical context they need to understand not just the past eight years, but the full history of American foreign policy since World War II.
This revision to their classic text is much more than a simple update. Careful editing and streamlining of key chapters keep the book relevant and accessible, while placing recent events in their proper perspective.
Key revisions include:
- Previously separate chapters on U.S. relations with the developing world and U.S. involvement in Vietnam have been combined to show the collision of East- West and North-South relations.
- Chapters on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are thoroughly updated.
- Full treatment is given to the current economic crisis.
- A new concluding chapter makes note of the changing of the guard from Bush to the Obama administration, and looks ahead to Obama′s leadership, strategic goals, and policy initiatives.
Students will also find abundant resources in new or updated tables, figures, and maps, as well as a robust set of appendixes and end-of-chapter materials, including a chronology of world events and annotated web resources.
Steven W. Hook (1959-2022) was professor of political science at Kent State University. In addition to this book, he was co-author of American Foreign Policy Since World War II (CQ Press, 2019, 21st ed., with John Spanier) and author of National Interest and Foreign Aid (Lynne Rienner, 1995). His edited books include U.S. Foreign Policy Today: American Renewal? (CQ Press, 2012, with James M. Scott), the Routledge Handbook of American Foreign Policy (Routledge Press, 2012, with Christopher M. Jones), and Democratic Peace in Theory and Practice (Kent State University Press, 2010). His journal articles have appeared in World Politics, International Studies Quarterly, Asian Survey, Foreign Policy Analysis, International Interactions, and other leading journals. Professor Hook received a BA (1982) in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Michigan and an MA (1990) and PhD (1993) in International Studies from the University of South Carolina. At Kent State, he received the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007 and served as department chair from 2008 to 2012. He was a past president of the Foreign Policy Analysis sections of the American Political Science Association and the International Studies Association.
John Spanier received his PhD from Yale University. Since joining the faculty of the University of Florida in 1957, Spanier has lectured at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, the Naval War College, military service academies, and several universities. Among his many other books is
Games Nations Play.
