A classic introductory text that examines the history of American foreign policy to help students analyze and understand modern issues

Now in its Twenty-Second Edition, Hook, Spanier, and Grove’s American Foreign Policy Since World War II has long set the standard in guiding students through the complexities of American foreign policy. The text introduces students to the American "style" of foreign policy, imbued with a distinct sense of national exceptionalism. By giving students the historical context they need, this book allows them to truly grasp the functions and dysfunctions of the nation’s foreign policy agenda with historical insight into modern policy context.

Chapter 1 The American Approach to Foreign Policy
Part I The Cold War
Chapter 2 From World War to Cold War
Chapter 3 Containment: From Theory to Practice
Chapter 4 North-South Tensions and the Vietnam War
Chapter 5 Détente and World-Order Politics
Chapter 6 Breakthroughs in the Superpower Struggle
Chapter 7 The End of the Cold War
Part II The New World “Disorder”
Chapter 8 Old Tensions in a New Order
Chapter 9 The Shifting European Landscape
Chapter 10 America under Fire
Chapter 11 Hot Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
Chapter 12 Aftershocks of the Arab Spring
Chapter 13 The Revival of Power Politics
Chapter 14 Traditional vs. Transnational: Can the U.S. Balance Interests in the 21st Century?
Appendix A: U.S. Administrations since World War II
Appendix B: Chronology of Significant Events, 1945–2023
Appendix C: Select Bibliography
Appendix D: Select Websites
Appendix E: Select Blogs on American Foreign Policy