What was the Cold War? A simple definition might be: a 20th century international confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States; which involved; first; Europe; and then Asia; Africa; and Latin America; eventually dividing the world into two camps. The key players in this global conflict are generally identified as a number of high-ranking policymakers; including Harry S. Truman; Winston Churchill; and Joseph Stalin. We know this story. However; the full story is not so simple. It is time to change our ways of thinking about the Cold War.Masuda Hajimu's Cold War Crucible is an inquiry into this peculiar nature of the Cold War. It examines not only centers of policymaking; but seeming aftereffects of Cold War politics during the Korean War: Suppression of counterrevolutionaries in China; the White Terror in Taiwan; the Red Purge in Japan; and McCarthyism in the United States. Such purges were not merely end results of the Cold War; Masuda argues; but forces that brought the Cold War into being; as ordinary people throughout the world strove to silence disagreements and restore social order in the chaotic post-WWII era under the mantle of an imagined global confrontation. Revealing social functions and popular participation; Cold War Crucible highlights ordinary people's roles in making and maintaining the "reality" of the Cold War; raising the question of what the Cold War really was.
#1611552 in Books 2014-09-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.54 x 1.54 x 6.43l; .0 #File Name: 0674416686528 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A Jesuit Inspector General and his Travels and Travails among Catholics and "Pagans" in 17th century AsiaBy M. J. SweetThe protagonist of this book; the Portuguese Jesuit André Palmeiro; was sent out in the early 17th century to inspect the then flourishing Jesuit missions in India and E. Asia. As the "Visitor" he had supreme power to make decisions about policy; personnel; and finances; in the name of the Father Superior in Rome. The life of an administrator doesn't immediately suggest itself as a fascinating subject; but Palmeiro's accounts of his extensive travels in India and China are full of interest; in their depiction of an early modern post-Tridentine Catholic's encounter with cultures totally different from his own. Palmeiro was quite orthodox in his religious views; but otherwise relatively open to the diversity of human cultures; and a master negotiator and personnel manager. The book engagingly writtten; and it also gives a broad picture of the context of Palmeiro's work; the Jesuit missions in Asia from the apex of their success to the beginning of their slow decline because of brutal persecution (as in Japan); internal dissension within the order; the decline of Portuguese power; and opposition from opponents withing the Church. Brockey makes a good case that the much vaunted Jesuit accommodation to non-Christian cultures was merely an expedient; and not a true attempt at inculturation and dialogue as it has been seen in modern times. I found his debunking of the differences between Portuguese and Italian Jesuits (the former seen as more orthodox and less open to other cultures; the latter as more adaptable and accepting of non-religious difference) to be less convincing. There are of course exceptions to these stereotypes; which are cited by the author; however; it remains true that the great innovators of the more gentle accommodation approach (Ricci; Valignano; Nobili) were all Italian; and their opponents mainly Portuguese and other non-Italians; the Renaissance and Humanism was enormously influential in the Italian states; and much less so in Portugal and Spain. It is a thought-provoking book; although not everyone will agree with all the author's conclusions. Despite minor shortcomings attributable to the publisher (the end notes gave only text references; and the index could have been more inclusive) this is a brilliant work of original scholarship; to be read by anyone interested in the encounter of Catholic Europe with early modern India; China; Japan; and Southeast Asia. Palmeiro is a figure who was known to very few; and Brockey has given him the recognition he deserves.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. New lights on the missionary labor in ChinaBy Cuauhtemoc VillamarThe book opens a new perspective about one of the several misioners in Asia; beyond the well known names of Valignano or Ricci. The work of Brockey is rigorous and based on first hand sources; as in previous publications of the author. It includes new lines of information about the early European presence in Asia. Very detailed and informative; with elegant prose.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating portrait of a person identified by his office.By GordonThe details never seemed trivial even though they were sometimes minute enough to give a realistic "aroma" of a scene. I should think any one who loves good historical writing would enjoy this book.
