The Cold War(2001)

Brian Holden-ReidJohn Keegan

World War Two left two compelling, indelible images that colored the decades to come: the immense force of the Soviet Union's Red Army and the horrific devastation wrought by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima/Nagasaki. For the next half-century, the great powers prepared themselves for another, deadlier international conflagration...one that never happened. Politicians and strategists devoted time, intellectual energy, and financial resources figuring out how to fight--or avoid--nuclear war; meanwhile the industrial complex dedicated itself to producing ever more complex weaponry. Through thoughtful analysis and striking photography, follow the changing expectations during this period, and how these expectations were influenced by the actual experience of limited warfare. From the evolution of nuclear strategy and technology to the effect of Korea and Vietnam to contemporary conflicts like Desert Storm, you'll see how a revival of conventional strategy has raised the possibility of a revolution in military affairs.