Britain, America, and the Special Relationship Since 1941

Britain, America and the Special Relationship since 1941 examines the Anglo-American strategic and military relationship that developed during the Second World War and continued until recent years. Forged on a common ground of social, cultural, and ideological values as well as political expediency, this partnership formed the basis of the western alliance throughout the Cold War, playing an essential part in bringing stability to the post-1945 international order.

Clearly written and chronologically organized, the book begins by discussing the origins of the ’Special Relationship’ and its progression from uneasy coexistence in the eighteenth century to collaboration at the start of the Second World War. McKercher explores the continued evolution of this partnership during the conflicts that followed, such as the Suez Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the Falklands War. The book concludes by looking at the developments in British and American politics during the past two decades and analysing the changing dynamics of this alliance over the course of its existence.

Illustrated with maps and photographs and supplemented by a chronology of events and list of key figures, this is an essential introductory resource for students of the political history and foreign policies of Britain and the United States in the twentieth century.

B.J.C. McKercher is Professor of International History at the University of Victoria, Canada. He is the editor of the journal Diplomacy and Statecraft and is general editor of The Praeger Series on Foreign Policy in the Interwar Period (with K. E. Neilson) and The Praeger Series on Diplomacy and Strategic Thought. His recent publications include The Handbook of Diplomacy and Statecraft (2011, edited), War in the Twentieth Century (2003, edited with M. A. Hennessy) and Power and Stability: British Foreign Policy, 1865-1965 (2003, edited with E. Goldstein).