Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Keeping the US in, the Soviet Union out, and Germany down

A really interesting and insightful account of NATO with a primary focus on the early years and the Cold War. There is much focus on the eternal struggle between the US and the European partners of the Alliance due to the uneven burdensharing and the increasing unwillingness in many European states - Germany in particular - during the Cold War to host American nuclear weapons.
Although Sayle includes a few pages in his concluding chapter on the post-Cold War years, I think the work could have been even more interesting if he had included more about NATO's engagement in the former Yugoslavia, a watershed in NATO's history.

My thanks to the publisher, Cornell University Press, for providing me with a review copy of the eBook via Netgalley. The comments are my own.

This book is a chronological account of the life and times of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since its inception in the late 1940's up to the beginning of the 21st Century. In the author's words, "..it is not a bureaucratic history of NATO organs in Paris or Brussels, nor one meant to hive off the history of NATO from the larger Cold War era." The best explanation for NATO has been attributed to Lord Ismay, NATO's first Secretary-General, who reportedly said that it existed "..to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down." Throughout its history, NATO members have needed to deal with crises arising from each of these aspects. It seems that in each decade of its existence there has been an existential event facing the alliance. Of course, over the years the cast of characters has changed; for the U.S. it has gone from General, then President Eisenhower to President Trump. The likes of Charles de Gaulle and the Soviet Union have come and gone. NATO has endured, as the author notes, and he references a 2017 Gallup poll that shows 80% of Americans think that it should be maintained.

The last third of the book consists of acknowledgements, explanatory notes to the numerous footnotes in the text and an index. (It is difficult to refer to the footnotes in the eBook format, without losing your place in the text). There is no bibliography as such, but the author has identified his primary sources that influenced his thinking about NATO's place in international relations. It is a book to study and a casual read of it may provide a reader with only a superficial understanding of the argument that NATO " ..should not be considered only as an international organization but as an instrument of great-power politics..".

In the final analysis, this is a good survey course about NATO and placing it in the larger context of international affairs over the life of NATO.

As a diplomat, I found this to be a very engaging book on the history of NATO and the world order. I have suggested that several of my posts purchase this book.

I have to say, this book was a struggle for me. I could read a few pages, lose interest, and then set it aside until I felt like attempting it again. It was too long winded for me to handle, but I can see where it would be valuable to diplomats, college students interested in international service, or politicians. I really don't feel qualified to pass on a review to anyone else, or risk looking like a fool for my limited knowledge. I wish the author luck!