The United States attempted to prop up the United Kingdom's great-power status after World War II but sought to weaken the Soviet Union as it crumbled in the 1980s. In this book, Shifrinson provides an elegant theory to explain these variations.
(Foreign Affairs) Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson's important book on Great Powers is a valuable contribution to research on the behaviour of the world's most important actors. Shifrinson has written an eminently readable book. His theory is elegant, his case-studies are well argued and his analysis is both clear and nimble. Most important, however, he is setting new standards for qualitative research
(International Affairs) Shifrinson asks a great question, collects the best explanations, tests them fairly against the best evidence, and follows the evidence to its logical conclusion. He says things that are new, true, and nontrivial and has produced a book that is both timely and timeless. Long may titans and giants read it.
(Aether, Air University)