Cold War Crucible

“There is no doubt of Masuda’s overall achievement. This is a superb work that bridges international and social history, underpinned by highly impressive research, to make arguments of real importance for our understanding of the Cold War.”—Rana Mitter, Diplomatic History

“Cold War Crucible builds on both the traditional approach to diplomatic history and the so-called ‘cultural turn.’ Masuda unearths the roots of social change at the local level in several different societies to show how change impacted reactions to larger events and, in turn, influenced and was influenced by national political elites. An impressive book.”—William Stueck, author of Rethinking the Korean War: A New Diplomatic and Strategic History

“An original and important book, which challenges established truths and significantly adds to our understanding of the early Cold War. Masuda’s work is a useful corrective to histories of the Korean War that focus mainly on U.S. perspectives. Cold War history at its best!”—Odd Arne Westad, author of Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750