Book Review: The Cold War: A History by Martin Walker

Published in 1995, The Cold War: History by Martin Walker, veteran journalist for the Guardian and many other outlets, wrote a one-volume history of the era. Written at a time when the Cold War was just starting to be thought of as history, the book offers a mostly balanced overview. Walker does an admirable job of placing five decades of history into a coherent narrative, balancing many viewpoints that went into policymaking, while providing a global perspective. 

Walker is less concerned with personalities or ideology and more with economics and long-term policy outcomes. Ultimately, the Cold War was a matter of which economy performed better:

The West prevailed because its economy proved able to supply guns as well as butter, aircraft carriers and private cars, rockets as well as foreign holidays for an ever-increasing proportion of taxpayers (1-2)

A "synergy" between free enterprise and state investment in the West proved an essential in spurring economic growth and innovation, everything from massive investments in higher education after Sputnik to the construction of the Interstate highway system benefitted national security and long-term prosperity. Fostering the trading blocs of Western Europe and Japan also brought long-term dividends. The irony of Germany and Japan being the Axis Powers who waged the Second World War ended up being close Allies of the West speaks to the many contradictions and illusions of the post-war world.

An insight I gained from the book was how our perception of reality, especially when caught in the daily grind of crisis and response, can mislead anyone into short-sighted decisions. While I have little background in theory when it comes to international relations, knowing the interests and fears of the other side, and being realistic about your own objectives are critical while navigating crisis. Policies and decisions based on fear and paranoia can lead to extreme and even fatal miscalculations. Walker tracks how each side learned to coexist in the distrustful climate where disaster always loomed. 

At the Yalta Conference in February of 1945, arguably the first superpower summit, each side had their own ideas about the post-war world. The United States, under the idealism of FDR, wanted to foster democracy and ensure self-determination, guided by the United Nations. The Soviets wanted long-term security above all else after four years of bearing the brunt of defeating Germany. Allowing the Soviets satellite states in Eastern Europe was anathema to the Americans who worried the Soviets might conquer all of Europe. The clash in objectives and ideologies between the two superpowers inevitably led to conflict. 

Anti-communists in the West were convinced the Soviets were bent on world domination, while the Soviet leadership believed the West were imperialists scheming to enforce capitalism on the world. With each side believing the other wants world domination, conflict appears inevitable, and yet something else happened, in time the two sides established rules of conduct. History bears out the truth of both projections, the Soviets did force totalitarianism on Eastern Europe, while the United States often fostered authoritarian regimes under the guise of anti-communism. 

Nuclear weapons were crucial in the calculus of every crisis. Truman's decision to use atomic weapons against Japan ended the war but also moved the world into a new stage of existential crisis, the next conflict would far worse. During the brief window when America had a monopoly on atomic weapons, it pursued a policy of secrecy and leverage. Once the Soviets had their own arsenal, each side could destroy each other many times over, crisis management became a means of survival. In the many nuclear clashes of the 1950s, culminating with the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962, it was essential for each side to know what they were and were not willing to concede, added with the underlying assurance neither side desired a nuclear exchange. 

The second half of the book views the latter decades of the Cold War as both superpowers discovered the limits of their power, whether it came to leveraging Allies or Quixotic attempts to achieve military superiority through fantastical technology. The age of detente which lasted through the 1970s, saw many changes, most of them positive. Both sides talked with regular frequency, engaging in arms control talks and cultural exchanges. European nations were starting to look beyond the trappings of the Cold War, whether it was East and West Germany moving towards unification, the French leading the way in creating the European Union. China began to engage, and Japan's economic achievements were the envy of the world.

Geopolitical and domestic politics led to new frictions between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. during the 1980s, as the scramble for oil and markets and heightened rhetoric threatened to rip apart the fragile peace. Yet there were signs the Soviet system was in decay, while Reagan's high defense spending led to deficits for the American economy. As Walker suggests, it might be something close to a miracle, the pressures on both nations during the late stages of the Cold War never boiled over. Reagan and Gorbachev both dismissed the hardliners in their midst and allowed the nuclear terror to dissipate - for a brief time anyway. The fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet served as more symbolic rather than concrete signs the travails of the Cold War were of the past; it was more of a respite and hardly an "end to history." 

Walker packs his narrative with economic data, charting the long-term and short-term consequences of policy decisions made by all the players. Government involvement in everyday life, whether in the form of defense, education, or social services, maintained a cohesion towards social democracy, especially in Western Europe, while America began to scale back the welfare state and increasingly resort to military intervention. Ultimately end of the Cold War led to a new litany of complex problems which left many nostalgic for the old days of Checkpoint Charlie and fallout shelters. 

Although written within the fragile euphoria of the 1990s while not having access to the archives which have opened since, Walker raises perceptive questions and approaches old questions from fresh angles. 

Walker, Martin, The Cold War: A History. New York: Holt, 1995.

Book Review: Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner by Paul M. Sammon

Future Noir set a high standard for non-fiction books on film productions in its account of the Sci-Fi touchstone Blade Runner. Author Paul M. Sammon was often on set during the shoot and was familiar with all the principals involved. The book is divided into sections: the first part covers the genesis of the film adapted from Phillip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, then an account of the hectic production, and lastly on the film's influence and afterlife. 

While Phillip K. Dick (PKD as fans refer to him) wasn't well known outside Science Fiction circles in the 1970s, his work was starting to gain mainstream attention. Dick's recurring themes of surveillance, corporate power, technology, drugs and reality distortion became more and more prophetic in the decades following his death in 1982. Hampton Fancher was a struggling screenwriter who bought the rights to Electric Sheep and wrote the first scripts. The story followed "Blade Runner" Rick Deckard who hunts down renegade replicants in a dystopian L.A. reeling from nuclear wars and environmental collapse. 

Fancher's screenplay went through many drafts and eventually another writer (David Peoples) was brought in to add further revisions. Authorship is a recurring theme in the making of Blade Runner, because the journey from book to screen was so complicated. Sammon gives an intricate account of the power struggles that went into the final creative decisions in which the screenwriters, director, and cast all had input.

Ridley Scott was hired to direct Blade Runner (titled Dangerous Days during pre-production) coming off his 1979 Sci-Fi hit Alien. Scott had directed hundreds of commercials for the BBC, his background in graphic design and painting gave his early films a distinct style. A common argument among film buffs is whether movie directors' matter, whether the autuer theory carries any weight. Those discussions often get tedious, and I would suggest reading Future Noir (or any good book documenting a production) to understand the actual role of a director. 

Scott was demanding and involved himself in all aspects of the production. He worked closely with the screenwriters to improve the script, he preferred the hardboiled detective aspects of the story and wanted the setting to be a futuristic megalopolis, as if Los Angeles and San Francisco had merged into one city. With his background in design, he worked closely with technicians to develop the visual style. It was common for many directors to focus only on working with the cast and outsourcing the technical aspects, but Scott was part of a new generation of directors like Coppola and Spielberg who were involved in the technical and artistic aspects of filmmaking. 

Sammon provides a scene-by-scene summary of the arduous process of the production. Scott initially wanted to film at night in gritty parts of New York City, but it was logistically impossible. Instead, the L.A. of 2019 was filmed in a studio backlot which became known as "Ridleyville." Designed by Syd Mead, the neon cityscape became its own ecosystem, the set started to smell and sound like an urban wasteland. The all-night shoots took a toll on cast and crew, Scott's commanding personality bred resentments with many. The post-production process was just as complicated with all the effects work and yet more changes to the script, such as the last-minute decision to include narration, much to the chagrin of Harrison Ford. 

Released in June of 1982, Blade Runner struggled at the Box Office despite a lucrative marketing campaign. Audiences found it alienating, fans of Ford were not happy to see him playing a morally compromised protagonist. The market was overloaded with Sci-Fi in the summer of '82, as has been written about at length. But the film would find its audience on the home video boom of the 1980s. In the early 1990s a new cut of the film was released on Laserdisc, just as its influence on the Sci-Fi genre was apparent with films like Strange Days, Dark City, and The Matrix all owed much to Blade Runner. 

Future Noir provides a detailed and probing chronicle of how films were made during the 1980s. Revealing interviews with the cast are included in the appendix. 

Two YouTube Influencers Discuss the Vexing Problem of Why Young Men No Longer Read

Today we're going to have a real meeting of the minds. We have You Tuber extraordinaire J. Turner who's built a large following on his platform through his passion for philosophy, literacy, and finding the perfect mattress. Joining him will be fellow YouTuber who goes by Fortinbras Stallworth, a man of many interests and passions ranging from Anime to pondering the great philosophers as he sips craft beer. Both hold PhD's in philosophy and, coincidentally, both wrote their dissertations on Kierkegaard. Also, they are recent (and enthusiastic) converts to Roman Catholicism, bespectacled, bearded, in their "early 30s."

A transcript of their discussion:

J. Turner: Thanks so much for agreeing to have this discussion with me on a topic important to both of us - the crisis of male literacy.

Fortinbras: Thanks for inviting me on J. 

J. Turner: So, let me start out by asking you, when did you become aware of the crisis of literacy and masculinity?

Fortinbras: Well, I go to the gym every morning at 5am to lift. I always bring a book with me, and I noticed I was getting funny looks from the other guys sometimes. One day this dude approached me about why I always have a book. I explained I try to read whenever I get a free minute, he chuckled and walked away. It was then I knew we had a crisis of male literacy on our hands.

J. Turner: I had a similar experience, I go to the gym in the pre-dawn hours and noticed none of the other guys were reading. They were all watching sports highlights on their phones. I'm like, why are they not using their free time to read the great books? I mean, the data is clear, we got a crisis on our hands. I decided that day it would be mission to lead all young men to the great books. Sounds like we both had out epiphanies at the gym! 

Fortinbras: So I was in line to vote last year and reading Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman on my phone and I was like, wow, he predicted all this! We're living in it! Everyone's just addicted to a never-ending stream of micro entertainment. Wasn't it ironic I was waiting in line to vote?

J. Turner: Totally. So, I know many young men watch your channel and come to you for advice on reading. What are you hearing from them?

Fortinbras: Everyone's obsessed with productivity. Young men are under intense pressure from peers and family to always be busy - and always be making money. It's a rough economy out there, and men simply don't see reading as worth their time with the exception of books on business acumen and becoming alpha. 

J. Turner: The young men I talk with say similar things. And when they start reading books they either go for Blood Meridian, Crime and Punishment, or Infinite Jest. They view books as things to be conquered. But when they start reading those books they quickly stop. 

Fortinbras: (laughs) There's also all the distractions. Men have unlimited access to video games, sports, and porn of course. It's just hard to fit in books amid all those distractions. 

J. Turner: Technology is to blame for all this. You can forget about all the other social issues of 2025, young men not reading poses the greatest threat to the future. Where will we find great men if they are not reading the great books? 

Fortinbras: You raise a great point. I lose sleep over this, a generation of men not familiar with Chaucer, it's an unspeakable tragedy.

J. Turner: Funny you should mention Chaucer. In my first year of graduate school, I took a life-changing seminar on Chaucer. I mean I went on this intense reading journey learning everything I could about Chaucer, learning everything I possibly could about the man and the time period. I partied a lot too, but I cannot emphasize enough how much reading all those books on Chaucer shaped me as a scholar and the proud man I am today. I bet you had a similar experience. 

Fortinbras: Oh yes, I was studying abroad at Oxford and I in a seminar on C.S. Lewis and and Tolkien, I started reading everything I could about Middle Earth. At one point, I even though I was on middle earth. I'm fluent in all the languages Tolkien invented, even invented some of my own. 

J. Turner: Anyway, let's pause for a short break.

J. shows a video of him bouncing around on his huge mattress. It was a gift from his sponsors. Yes, the mattress does cost $10,000 but it's worth every penny. You'll never have a bad night of sleep if you purchase this mattress. The video ends with him in his pajamas frolicking with his cat on the mattress. 

J. Turner: Welcome back, my wife films all my commercials. It was all her. She also does my hair and makeup. Anyway, back to the crisis of our times, men and literacy. The world's future really depends on young men reading. Fortinbras, what's some practical advice to get men reading?

Fortinbras: Well, I tell guys to just read something fun and carve out just 20 minutes. Reading something fun is the key.

J. Turner: That's the trick. I hope they can realize the amount of pleasure a book can provide. And there's no feeling like conquering a massive novel. Wrapping your hands around and caressing the book after finishing is a feeling like no other.

Fortinbras: I get so many emails from depressed young men who feel like the world hates them, if they only knew the power of books! (raises his fist Darth Vader style)

J. Turner: Same, we must save them. You know, don't get me wrong, I've always considered myself a hip guy. I was listening to Arcade Fire before anyone knew of them. I was obsessed with quoting Nietzsche at parties. I have an even more radical solution. Let's reconsider compulsory military service. That's the kind structure and discipline these young men need. 

Fortinbras: Never knew you were a military guy. Did you enlist?

J. Turner: No, but I've read a lot of military history! I've done extensive studies on Greek and Roman military strategy. An entire room in my house is filled with volumes of WWII history. I'm quite confident I could command armies based on my extensive reading and mastery of the board game Risk.

Fortinbras: You see, that's a good selling point to young men. Read military history and you will become a master of the universe - and conquer the world. 

J. Turner: Exactly. Back to my point about compulsory military service. Don't call it a draft, call it Manly Reeducation Mission (MRM). We'll get Rogan and Friedman on this. Elon's on my speed dial; he'll love the idea! I have it on good authority that the powers that be in Silicon Valley and DC are giving the idea serious consideration. 

Fortinbras: Will women be included in this new cultural offensive?

J. Turner: Absolutely not. Women are well adjusted and are running the world now, in fact being around confident young women is harmful to the psyche of these restless young men. Young women face nothing like young men must endure these days. But anyway, we'll also have compulsory reading programs. It will connect a new generation of men with the traditions of their true legacy. In addition, they will be forced to attend church services and bible study. Is there not a more powerful book than the Bible?

Fortinbras: You know, 10 years ago I would've laughed at that. I was a non-stop with drinking and partying, my "secular" parents never bothered to give me religion. My two sons will be heavily encouraged to experience the full force of the TRUE church that's brought so much clarity to my life. They WILL NOT lead the life of partying, girls, and drinking that corrupted me as a young man. Not that kind of fun for them. They will be getting strict moral and spiritual instruction.

J. Turner: Same, I also had way too much fun as a young man and now I regret all of it. Fun, won't be in my kids vocabulary unless it involves serving the church and broadening their minds.

Fortinbras: I feel it, we are going to save this generation of broken young men through discipline, service, and religion. 

(Pause for another break, J. reads ads for sports gambling and vitamin supplements - these sponsors bring in tons of revenue)

J. Turner: So, to conclude our discussion. Young men have way too much freedom. That's the problem. Banning porn should also be on the table. Discipline and routine will lead to books and the literacy crisis will be solved.

Fortinbras: I agree, limiting freedom is the answer. It may not be popular, but social media can persuade anybody to do anything - and convince them it's freedom. We've read the entire Western canon. We're part of the Kierkegaard brotherhood. We're the authorities. I've devoted thousands of hours to books. How could I be wrong? 

J. Turner: I want to thank everyone for watching. Come see us next week when we discuss "The Case for Restoring Feudalism. What the Medieval Mind Can Teach the 21st Century Mind."