Retreat from Doomsday

"Retreat from Doomsday" delves into the history of public policies and attitudes towards war in the modern era, arguing that major war among developed nations has gradually fallen out of favor despite large stockpiles of deadly arms and ideological differences. The author also tackles the impact of nuclear weapons on post-war stability and analyzes Cold War crises to conclude that former Soviet leaders never saw major war as a sensible tactic. The book offers cautious optimism that the developed world's aversion to war may spread to the Third World, where war remains endemic.