At a Century’s Ending: Reflections 1982–1995 was published by Norton in 1996 and collects Kennan’s essays and speeches from the period of the Cold War’s conclusion and its aftermath. It is a book by a man who lived long enough to see the policy he had designed achieve its objective — the containment of Soviet power until that power collapsed from its own internal contradictions — and who was dismayed by what the victors did with their victory.
Kennan’s reflections on the end of the Cold War are characteristically unsentimental. He gives no credit to Reagan’s arms buildup; he argues instead that the Soviet system collapsed from within, for reasons that had little to do with Western military pressure. He is critical of the triumphalism that followed — the notion that America had “won” the Cold War and was now free to reshape the world in its image.
His most prescient essay in the collection is his warning against NATO expansion — written in 1996, before the first round of expansion had occurred. Kennan argued that extending NATO to Russia’s borders would be perceived by Russians as a threat, would humiliate and antagonize even moderate Russian opinion, would empower nationalist and militarist forces in Russian politics, and would ultimately recreate the very antagonism it was supposed to prevent. This warning was dismissed at the time; subsequent events have vindicated it completely.
Collecting At a Century’s Ending
First edition (Norton, New York, 1996): Cloth binding, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition in dust jacket: $10–$30
- Paperback editions: $5–$10
Projected values (2026–2036): Modest appreciation.
Reflections on the Cold War’s End
At a Century’s Ending: Reflections 1982–1995 (1996) collects Kennan’s essays, speeches, and op-eds from the final years of the Cold War and its immediate aftermath. Kennan had opposed NATO expansion, criticized the Gulf War, and warned against triumphalism after the Soviet collapse. The book captures one of America’s wisest foreign policy voices grappling with a world that had vindicated his containment strategy but ignored his counsel on how to handle victory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kennan think of NATO expansion? He opposed it vehemently, calling it “the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-Cold War era.” He predicted it would inflame Russian nationalism and revive Cold War tensions — a warning that many have reconsidered in light of subsequent events.