The War of Nerves: Inside the Cold War Mind
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15
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Average rating4
More than any other conflict, the Cold War was fought on the battlefield of the human mind. And, nearly thirty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, its legacy still endures - not only in our politics, but in our own thoughts, and fears. Drawing on a vast array of untapped archives and unseen sources, Martin Sixsmith vividly recreates the tensions and paranoia of the Cold War, framing it for the first time from a psychological perspective. Revisiting towering personalities like Khrushchev, Kennedy and Nixon, as well as the lives of the unknown millions who were caught up in the conflict, this is a gripping account of fear itself - and in today's uncertain times, it is more resonant than ever.
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The psychology of nuclear brinkmanship that terrified a generation
The author shares many illustrative anecdotes from his time as a prominent journalist in Russia. He fills the book with fascinating insights into the psychology of one of the most uncertain periods in world history.
Sixsmith reminds us that we continue to live with the emotional trauma of the cold war. Today's decision-makers are no better at carefully examining their psychological assumptions than yesterday's leaders. Nuclear missiles are still pointed at our cities. Our lives still depend on the quirks, paranoias and anxieties of the men and women who lead us.
