While both authors are specialists in American foreign policy and diplomacy, Smith has a particular interest in United States relations with Latin America and Davis in Anglo-American relations. This broader focus is helpful, because it enables the authors to have a broader view of the Cold War, and having studied and lived in Great Britain, they view events from a more neutral perspective. This, and a conscious effort to maintain a scholarly balance, enhances the objectivity of this volume. Smith and Davis have produced an easy-to-use reference tool for both the history scholar and student.