The Great American Gamble: Deterrence Theory and Practice from the Cold War to the Twenty-First Century

The Great American Gamble examines the past, present, and prospective future of U.S. deterrence theory, strategic forces, nuclear weapons and policy. It provides a detailed explanation of the competing schools of deterrence theory that emerged during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Based on an extensive review of previously classified documents, it demonstrates how and why U.S. Government policies came to adhere to the guidelines established by the theory of deterrence popularly called the 'balance of terror.' Dr. Payne presents the assumptions, judgments, and hopes that led U.S. policy makers in consecutive Republican and Democratic administrations to that choice.