How have the United States and the Soviet Union managed to get through more than four decades of Cold War without actually going to war with each other? In this book John Gaddis uses recently released American and British documents to explore key issues in Cold War history that remain unresolved, suggesting answers to this and other vital questions about post-war diplomacy.

In this fascinating new interpretation of Cold War history, John Lewis Gaddis focuses on how the United States and the Soviet Union have managed to get through more than four decades of Cold War confrontation without going to war with one another.
Using recently-declassified American and British documents, Gaddis argues that the postwar international system has contained previously unsuspected elements of stability. This provocative reassessment of contemporary history--particularly as it relates to the current status of Soviet-American relations--will certainly generate discussion, controversy, and important new perspectives on both past and present aspects of the age in which we live.

'Gaddis raises some interesting and timely questions ... This provocative and well-argued work is recommended' Library Journal