Walter LaFeber provides a general survey of the Cold War in the ninth edition of his America, Russia and the Cold War, 1945-2002. Traditionally painted as a member of the “new left” school of historiography, LaFeber’s interpretation of the Cold War provides a more detailed focus on economics and social issues than would be found in comparable surveys. The first chapters of the book, describing the origins of the Cold War, make this clear. Still a controversial subject to many historians, LaFeber takes the view that the Cold War was largely a product of an American desire to make sure that the post-war market place would be open to the capitalist system.

    Chapter eleven is particularly relevant for its discussion of the period of détente (1966-1976). LaFeber describes détente as a reworking of traditional American containment policy. He is particularly adept at describing the explosive social forces unleashed by growing anxiety over American economic standing and continued involvement in the Vietnam War. President Nixon’s expansion of the conflict—increased bombing of North Vietnam and an invasion of Cambodia—provoked a particularly intense reaction culminating in the death of four students at Kent State in May 1970. The difficult task of governing the United States during this tumultuous period was made worse by President Nixon’s paranoid and imperious leadership style. He sought to prevent information from leaking to the media and sought to single-handedly control American foreign policy.

    LaFeber’s text describes the larger historical context necessary to fully appreciate and understand THX 1138. The film exhibits an acute, if implicit, uneasiness with contemporary political developments. In fact, several lines of dialogue in the movie are taken straight out of speeches given by President Nixon. If films provide a rough window into the collective mindset of the periods in which they are created, this book helps the researcher understand how that mindset was created and why.