''American Hegemony and the Postwar Reconstruction of Science in Europe'' is a book by

John Krige John Krige () is a historian of science and technology and the Kranzberg Professor at the School of History, Technology and Society, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Biography Krige is originally a physical chemist by training, earn ...

published in 2008 by MIT Press.

Summary

The book explores how the United States exerted influence over scientific practices and institutions in Western Europe after World War II. Krige argues that influential American figures collaborated with local elites to promote American scientific, technological, and Cold War agendas in Europe. Through case studies, Krige demonstrates how key individuals and organizations, such as the

Rockefeller Rockefeller is a German surname, originally given to people from the village of Rockenfeld near Neuwied in the Rhineland and commonly referring to subjects associated with the Rockefeller family. It may refer to: People with the name Rockefeller fa ...

and Ford Foundations,

NATO Science Committee The NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme is a NATO programme supporting civil science cooperation and innovation. Created in 2006 as the merger of the NATO Science Committee (SCOM) and the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Societ ...

, and prominent scientists like

Isidor I. Rabi Isidor Isaac Rabi (; born Israel Isaac Rabi, July 29, 1898 – January 11, 1988) was an American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1944 for his discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance, which is used in magnetic resonance ima ...

and Vannevar Bush, attempted to Americanize scientific fields like physics, molecular biology, and operations research. The book highlights efforts to support European scientific institutions like

CERN The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (; ; ), is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, it is based in a northwestern suburb of Gene ...

, the

Niels Bohr Institute The Niels Bohr Institute (Danish: ''Niels Bohr Institutet'') is a research institute of the University of Copenhagen. The research of the institute spans astronomy, geophysics, nanotechnology, particle physics, quantum mechanics and biophysics. ...

, and the French CNRS.

Reviews

Jacob Darwin Hamblin Jacob Darwin Hamblin (born September 17, 1974) is an American professor of history, specializing in international aspects of science, technology, and the global environment. His 2013 book '' Arming Mother Nature: The Birth of Catastrophic Environm ...

stressed Krige's focus on the American influence on European science post-World War II. He commended the author for elucidating how American institutions shaped European scientific practices and values, particularly in the context of the Cold War. Hamblin also highlighted Krige's adept exploration of the role of philanthropic organizations like the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations in promoting American scientific ideals abroad. Giles Scott-Smith lauded Krige for the book's theoretical depth and analytical precision. Scott-Smith praised the author's examination of how US hegemony shaped scientific endeavors in Europe after World War II, emphasizing the collaborative nature of this hegemony and its impact on institutions like CERN and CNRS. The reviewer also underscored the book's exploration of both self-interest and general interest driving American efforts to reshape European socio-economic landscapes, while acknowledging the complexities and challenges inherent in imposing a US blueprint on European institutions.

References

{{Authority control 2008 non-fiction books MIT Press books