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At the Borderline of Armageddon: How American Presidents Managed the Atom Bomb

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The people assuming the role of the presidency in the United States are faced with a different set of challenges than anything they have faced before. One of the biggest is making decisions regarding the use of nuclear weapons. Being the governor of a small southern state, working in Congress, movie acting -- none of these, or any other profession really prepares one to make decisions of such importance to not only this country but to the entire world.

James Goodby has been involved with the study of nuclear weapons, their use, and the various negeotiations concerning them for many years. In this book he examines the outlook of the presidents beginning with Roosevelt through each holder of the office down to George W. Bush.

To quote from his Preface: 'Were presidential decisions invariably wise and skillfully executed? No, but nuclear weapons were never exploded over any city anywhere in the world after 1945. That wa sa major achievement. Things could have turned out far differently. That they did not, we shuld be thankful and should take pride in the statecraft that so far has avoided Armageddon.'

Regardless of how one views the various presidents, this has been an amazing and enduring achievement. This book talks about the turns and twists in American and world policies that made this possible.