Explains emergence of revolutionary movements in more than a dozen countries during Cold War era.

Figures, tables and maps; Abbreviations and acronyms; Preface and acknowledgments; Part I. Introduction: 1. Comparing revolutionary movements; 2. The state-centered perspective on revolutions: strengths and limitations; Part II. Southeast Asia: Chronology for Southeast Asia; 3. The formation of revolutionary movements in Southeast Asia; 4. The only domino: the Vietnamese revolution in comparative perspective; Part III. Central America: Chronology for Central America; 5. The formation of revolutionary movements in Central America; 6. Not-so-inevitable revolutions: the political trajectory of revolutionary movements in Central America; Part IV. Further Comparisons and Theoretical Elaborations: 7. Between success and failure: persistent insurgencies; Chronology for Eastern Europe; 8. 'Refolution' and rebellion in Eastern Europe, 1989; 9. Conclusion: generalizations and prognostication; Annotated bibliography; Index.