A comprehensive comparative history of the Cold War : from its origins through to its most dangerous moment, the Cuban Missile Crisis. Packed with new information drawn from previously unavailable international sources; it also reflects the findings of a new generation of historians. It also contains insights into the role of ideology, democracy, economics, alliances, and nuclear weapons, as well as reinterpretations of Stalin, Truman, Khruschev, Mao, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. 