The Diplomacy of Detente: The Kissinger Era

Defining détente as "a mode of management of adversary power," the author analyzes a set of issues and events since 1969 with grace and perception. She concludes that détente has redistributed "diplomatic leverage" in ways "useful to Western purposes and . . . the preservation of peace." Professor Bell has a sure grasp of American politics but the strength of the book derives from her broad international perspective.