America and Her Superfriend

Tony Judt, author of a useful new book on European politics since 1945 called Postwar, demolishes the so-called dean of Cold War studies, John Lewis Gaddis, and his new book, The Cold War: A New History. Gaddis, Judt notes, ignores the role of religion in Cold War conflicts. Unfortunately, so does Judt. But his take-down of Gaddis, a Yale professor considered by too many journalists as a reliable source on Cold War history, is otherwise a thorough account of the little oversights in Gaddis’ chronicle. What did Gaddis — also an advisor to U.S. policymakers — miss? According to Judt, pretty much everything and everybody but the totally righteous awesomeness of America and her superfriend, Margaret Thatcher.