Here Thomas surveys the nascent conflict between the two new great powers from war’s end to spring 1946. In five large sections he outlines the Soviet world view, the attitudes toward world affairs of the United States and its allies, the flashpoints of conflict, the role of atomic diplomacy, and the situation in 1946 at the time of Churchill’s famous speech in Fulton, Missouri. 

          This is a synthesis based mainly on secondary works. It tends toward traditional rather than revisionist interpretations on the origins of the Cold War. Thomas emphasizes the role of individuals and devotes much detail to the character and foibles of leading figures. This is a lively, wide-ranging narrative without many new or controversial insights.