Constructing a Post-War Order: The Rise of US Hegemony and the Origins of the Cold War

Some years ago, I heard the great Japanese diplomatic historian Akira Iriye tell a Melbourne audience that the historiography of the Soviet-American Cold War rivalry had pretty much been tapped out, and that, in future, scholars would do well to turn their attention to the larger, more important issue of how the United States “reconnected” to globalization at the end of World War II. While there were not many takers on that night, clearly, British historian Andrew Baker must have heard the call, as his book fairly fits the bill.
The years 1942 to 1946, according to Baker, saw the acceleration of World War II, its conclusions, and the construction of a postwar order that culminated in the Cold War. From here, Baker examines the expansion of U.S. political and economic power during this period, and the extent to which smaller states...