The second edition of this text has been revised and updated to take account of work published since 1983. This edition has been re-designed and reset. The original edition stoped at 1970, this second edition includes events up to 1990, climaxing in the collapse of the USSR and its implications for new patterns of power-politics in the post-Soviet world. It provides an analytical account of the international rivalries of the great powers since the epicentre of world politics began moving out of Europe into a wider arena.