The Cold War has spawned many interpreters over the years, but this comprehensive, accessible, richly illustrated volume is the first to benefit from the recent openings of Soviet, East European, and Chinese archives. Drawing on a wealth of recent scholarship and newly uncovered evidence, Sir Jeremy Isaacs and Taylor Downing are able to present for the first time what actually transpired in secret during some of the most crucial and terrifying moments of modern history. Cold War is complete with firsthand and eyewitness accounts by the people who shaped pivotal events, as well as glimpses into the lives of ordinary men and women threatened or safeguarded by those policies.