The Cold War was the longest conflict in American history, and the defining event of the second half of the twentieth century. Since its recent and abrupt cessation, we have only begun to measure the effects of the Cold War on American, Soviet, post-Soviet, and international military strategy, economics, domestic policy, and popular culture.

This reference contains an extensive narrative overview of key events and issues, and also features a concise dictionary of terms, institutions, and people, a condensed chronology, and an annotated resource section listing books, articles, films, novels, websites, and more than forty CD-ROMs on Cold War themes and topics.