Comprises essays (with suggested further readings) on a series of topics arranged in alphabetical order (one topic per letter). This somewhat whimsical organization provides a forum for the author's concise and authoritative writing, and his ideas are thought provoking, often unorthodox. Shorrock (history, Cleveland State U.) has done a study that is the first to examine systematically France's relations with fascist Italy between the First and Second World Wars. Thus, as it broadens understanding of the origins of World War II, it also brings into focus those political, economic, and ideological forces that impinge upon the foreign policy process in a democratic nation. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR