In this Book
- The Star Wars Enigma: Behind the Scenes of the Cold War Race for Missile Defense
- Book
- 2011
- Published by: University of Nebraska Press
summary
The year 1982 was a desperate time for the U.S. defense community. The United States had no effective system to protect itself completely from a Soviet attack with nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, which the Soviet Union possessed in large quantity, and the doomsday philosophy of mutually assured destruction seemed inescapable. But people in the Reagan administration, including Reagan himself, were not content with what they viewed as a morally unacceptable status quo. Then Adm. James Watkins, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asked, “Wouldn’t it be better if we could develop a system that would protect, rather than avenge, our people?” With that, the president’s commitment to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) became certain. Ultimately, SDI reflected Western political idealism, a powerful ingredient in the struggle to finally conquer the terrors of the Cold War and to allay the threat of nuclear holocaust. The Star Wars Enigma tells this dramatic story.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. x-xi
- 1. Shooting Down Nukes
- pp. 13-29
- 2. The Sputnik Revolution
- pp. 30-48
- 3. Lasers Versus Missiles
- pp. 49-69
- 4. Reagan Takes the Reins
- pp. 70-81
- 6. The Presidential Thunderbolt
- pp. 98-116
- 7. Shaping SDI
- pp. 117-131
- 8. A Year to Test Nations
- pp. 132-145
- 9. Rescuing the Infant SDI
- pp. 146-161
- 10. Ronnie, Maggie, and Mike
- pp. 162-181
- 11. Showdown at the Chateau
- pp. 182-197
- 12. The Beginning of the End
- pp. 198-213
- 13. The Velvet Revolution
- pp. 214-228
- 14. Bluff, Fear, Confusion, and Hope
- pp. 229-246
- Selected Bibliography
- pp. 275-282
- About the Author
- pp. 287-288
Additional Information
ISBN
9781612343297
Related ISBN(s)
9781574889819
MARC Record
OCLC
755611200
Pages
288
Launched on MUSE
2016-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No