"This book . . . lets fresh air into the stale atmosphere of the presidency of Ronald Reagan. . . . This is not merely a book to be read; it is a book that can be read."—International Journal

"A well-written and provocative work."—Choice

"The Reagan Reversal should be on the reading list of anyone attempting to understand the dynamics which led to the end of the cold war."—Virginia Quarterly Review

"Fischer understands the realities of foreign policy and international politics. She has a political sense which enables her to connect domestic and world politics. I found it difficult to put down the book because of the unfolding story she narrates. She is a superb political analyst."— Kenneth W. Thompson

It is often assumed that Ronald Reagan's administration was reactive in bringing about the end of the cold war, that it was Mikhail Gorbachev's "new thinking" and congenial personality that led the administration to abandon its hard- line approach toward Moscow. In The Reagan Reversal, now available in paperback, Beth A. Fischer convincingly demonstrates that President Reagan actually began seeking a rapprochement with the Kremlin fifteen months before Gorbachev took office. She shows that Reagan, known for his long-standing antipathy toward communism, suddenly began calling for "dialogue, cooperation, and understanding" between the superpowers. This well-written and concise study challenges the conventional wisdom about the president himself and reveals that Reagan was, at times, the driving force behind United States-Soviet policy.

About the Author

Beth A. Fischer is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto and is coauthor of The Constitution and American Foreign Policy.