Anglo-American Relations - Contemporary Perspectives (Paperback)

This book provides an examination of contemporary Anglo-American relations. The 1940 Destroyers for Bases deal arguably marked the birth of an Anglo-American 'special relationship', which formed the cornerstone of Western defence against first the Axis powers and then the Soviet Union and its allies. Anglo-American relations have rarely been so intensely in the media and public spotlight for such a sustained period as they have been since 9/11. Military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, high-profile intelligence failings and questionable practices such as 'extraordinary rendition' have all drawn substantial scrutiny and criticism of Anglo-American relations. Familiar questions are thus being revisited: the degree of Britain's influence in Washington, the impact of Atlanticism upon Britain's relations with Europe, and the extent to which the special relationship is an unrequited British preoccupation. At the same time, other important developments have been taking place with, overall, ambiguous implications for Anglo-American relations. For instance, the nuclear relationship has been galvanised by the former Labour government's commitment to retaining Britain's deterrent, and strategic dissonance is evident between Whitehall and Washington as the latter looks increasingly to Asia and the global financial crisis has seen the Anglo-Saxon economic model under siege. The book will be of great interest to students of US and UK foreign policy, diplomacy and International Relations in general.