1945-1989

On the anniversary of President John Kennedy's assassination,celebrated political scientist and analyst Larry J. Sabato--himself a teenager in the early 1960s and inspired by JFK and his presidency--explores the fascinating and powerful influence Kennedy has had over five decades on the media, the general public, and especially on each of his nine presidential successors. A recent Gallup poll gave JFK the highest job approval rating of any of those successors, and millions remain captivated by his one thousand days in the White House. For all of them, and for those who feel he would not be judged so highly if he hadn't died tragically in office, The Kennedy Half-Century will be particularly revealing. Sabato reexamines JFK's assassination using heretofore unseen information to which he has had unique access, then documents the extraordinary effect the assassination has had on Americans of every modern generation through the most extensive survey ever undertaken on the public's view of a historical figure.

Designed to encourage critical thinking about American history and presents a selected group of readings in a format that asks students to evaluate primary sources, test interpretations, and draw their own conclusions.

A chronological examination of the Cold War from 1948 to 1991, along with a primary document section and an assessment section with questions to help readers analyze the events of this time period.

Studies the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union and discusses the policies that helped that relationship develop.