Macmillan, Eisenhower and the Cold War /

Aldous (Univ. College Dublin) focuses on Macmillan's Cold War policy of 1957-60. Coming to power after the Suez fiasco, he faced the problem of restoring a badly damaged relationship with the US. Also, with elections pending, the popularity of the Conservative party was at a low ebb. Macmillan chose to deal with both problems by arranging a summit meeting of Western leaders with Khrushchev. He needed a low-cost approach, due to British economic and military weakness and the popularity of the peace movement. His efforts were appreciated by the British press, leading to a smashing Conservative victory in the 1959 elections. With adroit maneuvering and skillful handling of Eisenhower, De Gaulle, and Khrushchev, Macmillan was instrumental in arranging a summit meeting for 1960, only to see it torpedoed by the U-2 scandal. Attempting to salvage the meeting, Macmillan only succeeded in looking weak and vacillating. Well written and based on excellent (but primarily British) sources, this would be a useful addition for most libraries. Unfortunately, there is no bibliography and the price is outrageous. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. P. Scherer emeritus, Indiana University at South Bend