International Relations
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Abstract
What a pleasure it is to read a thoroughly researched and well-argued book by a single author that puts Gorbachev's reconstruction of Soviet foreign policy into a timely perspective. Dr. Adams' study does far more than outline the evolution of Soviet policy toward Central America from Stalin's hostility, through Brezhnev's aggressiveness, to Gorbachev's new political thinking. All along, the author keeps in mind several pertinent questions that retain their relevance, both practical and theoretical, beyond the narrower focus of Moscow's retreat from the Caribbean area. Three basic questions underlie Adams' inquiry: What signs indicate that Gorbachev's reforms can survive beyond his tenure of power? What was there in the American assessment of Moscow's intentions that could have led to an exacerbation of superpower competition? And will the collapse of Communist system have any influence on the social, economic, and political tensions that afflict Central America?