Contents: Dawn: The Nature of the grand alliance -- The Development of the atomic bomb -- The End of World War II -- The Weapon of choice -- The Emergence of the Cold War -- The Growth of the U.S. nuclear arsenal -- The Development of the hydrogen bomb -- The Significance of Korean war -- A Bigger bang for the buck: The New look massive retaliation -- The Bomber and missile gaps -- The Consolidation of U.S. nuclear planning -- Europe goes nuclear: The Nuclearization of NATO -- Rearmed allies: great Britain, France, and West Germany -- Managing the NATO deterrent -- At the brink: Background to the Cuban missile crisis -- The Thirteen days -- Lessons of the Cuban missile crisis -- The Education of Robert McNamara: Reducing U.S. vulnerability -- The Evolution of U.S. strategic doctrine -- The ABM debate -- One step forward: Arms control and detente -- Salt I: The ABM treaty and the interim agreement -- After salt I: MIRVs, strategic parity, and the decline of detente -- Haves and have-nots: Nuclear weapons and nuclear power -- Attempts to control proliferation -- The Spread of nuclear weapons capability -- Carter's new world: A Troubled administration -- Geopolitics and arms control: the question of linkage -- Salt II: negotiations and agreement -- Zero hour: NATO's dilemmas -- NATO's decision to deploy new nuclear weapons -- The INF negotiations -- Missile experimental: The Origins of the MX -- The Search for an MX basing scheme -- From MX to midgetman -- Reagan's shield: The Offensive buildup -- Strategic defense -- Arms control: fits and starts -- Visions of war and peace: A Look back -- Differing perspectives and policy options -- What citizens can do.