The Star Wars Enigma: Behind the Scenes of the Cold War Race for Missile Defense [Hardcover]

Nigel Hey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2006

The year 1982 was a desperate time for the U.S. defense community. The United States had no effective system to protect itself completely from a Soviet attack with nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, which the Soviet Union possessed in large quantity, and the doomsday philosophy of mutually assured destruction seemed inescapable. But people in the Reagan administration, including Reagan himself, were not content with what they viewed as a morally unacceptable status quo. Then Adm. James Watkins, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asked, “Wouldn’t it be better if we could develop a system that would protect, rather than avenge, our people?” With that, the president’s commitment to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) became certain. Ultimately, SDI reflected Western political idealism, a powerful ingredient in the struggle to finally conquer the terrors of the Cold War and to allay the threat of nuclear holocaust. The Star Wars Enigma tells this dramatic story.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought. But World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." - Albert Einstein"

From the Publisher

Explores the mysteries of Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, including the possibility that it is the greatest bluff in history

Considers SDI's role in ending the Cold War

Based on scores of first-person interviews with top U.S. and Soviet politicians and scientists

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (August 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574889818
• ISBN-13: 978-1574889819
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > History > Military > Weapons & Warfare > Nuclear

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is the Way the Cold War Ends, November 5, 2006

By 

Tony Fitzpatrick (Saint Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Star Wars Enigma: Behind the Scenes of the Cold War Race for Missile Defense (Hardcover)

Author Nigel Hey revisits recent history in his entertaining and excellently researched narration of the Cold War's end. He examines the science -- or lack thereof -- economics and politics of the still controversial Strategic Defense Initiative -- "Star Wars." We find that the notion of a defense shield was Ronald Reagan's response to MAD -- mutual assured destruction. Reagan considered MAD dangerous, unstable and insane, exactly what the Soviets -- and many American critics -- thought of Reagan and his Star Wars concept. Hey presents careful analyses of all the key players from Sagdeev and Gorbachev to Teller, "Cap the Knife" Weinburger and George Shultz. He renders a surprising portrait of Ronald Reagan and his complex simplicity. Most importantly, Hey vividly explains the role that Star Wars played in the demise of the Cold War. And he reminds us how very dangerous those times were. The Star Wars Enigma is a rare blend of science, human nature, personalities, politics and history that makes for lively, thought-provoking reading.

Tony Fitzpatrick, science writer
Author of Signals from the Heartland, Walker and Company, New York

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Place as a Historical Document, October 20, 2006

By 

John P. Buchanan "J. Willard Williams" (Richmond, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Star Wars Enigma: Behind the Scenes of the Cold War Race for Missile Defense (Hardcover)

What a resourceful document on a subject that the general public knows so little about!!!!The author has detailed much little known research by the average person into an easy-to-read book for anyone who has interest in the Star Wars arena. It is an invaluble resource for students of USA/Soviet History; students in all of the War Colleges; National Defense University; or just in a general interest in history. It contains interesting anecdotal information and is not written in a strict academic style.
J. Willard Williams, Retired Director of Army Continuing Education

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive History of Star Wars, February 5, 2009

By 

James R. Asker (Vienna, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Star Wars Enigma: Behind the Scenes of the Cold War Race for Missile Defense (Paperback)

Hey's book The Star Wars Enigma is unique in the crowded field of literature on missile defense. As an editor at Aviation Week & Space Technology familiar with many books on the subject, I have found almost all have an axe to grind, pro or con. Hey's book is notable for being thorough, dispassionate and objective. I regard it as the definitvie history of U.S. efforts in missile defense.

This is a serious book, carefully researched with end notes for each chapter. But it is also very readable and free of jargon.