This ambitious study provides a new interpretation of the Cold War from the perspective of smaller and middle powers in Asia, the Middle East and Europe and addresses the long-term political, economic, intellectual and religious developments in these regions that continue to shape the world to this day. 'Lüthi pushes the boundaries of the new global cold war historiography. Asia, the Middle East, and Europe all mattered, and not just because the superpowers intervened there. Decolonization, the rivalry of middle powers, non-alignment, and pan-Islamism are all given their due. A singular achievement.' Robert Vitalis, author of White World Order, Black Power Politics: The Birth of American International Relations