First published 2010
David E. Hoffman chronicles the final phase of the Cold War arms race and its dramatic conclusion. The author draws from memoirs, interviews conducted in Russia and the United States, and classified Kremlin documents to reveal the inner workings of both superpowers. Hoffman examines the secret decisions and personal motivations that drove leaders on each side as they grappled with unprecedented nuclear, chemical, and biological arsenals. The narrative focuses on Reagan, Gorbachev, and a collection of scientists, soldiers, diplomats, and spies who worked to change history's trajectory. Hoffman details the dangerous stockpiles left unsecured when the Soviet Union collapsed and traces the efforts of those who fought to contain these weapons. This Pulitzer Prize winner illuminates how the era of massive nuclear overkill finally ended and reveals the ongoing threat posed by the weapons legacy that remains today.
Genres: history, 20th-century, political-science, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-non-fiction, insider-perspective
Setting: Russia, United States
Period: Cold War
577 pages · Paperback · Anchor