Instant interpretive history is a difficult and demanding task, and certainly more of an art than some would suggest. USA and the World endeavors to describe not only what happened, but to put events in the context of the past and to criticize policy actions as appropriate. The result goes deeper than most of what appears in current publications. USA and the World is solid enough to be useful for those who write future books in due course. It is meant for the lay reader, but with a special eye to students of all ages.