The Road to War examines how presidential commitments can lead to the use of American military force, and to war. Marvin Kalb notes that since World War II, "presidents have relied more on commitments, public and private, than they have on declarations of war, even though the U.S. Constitution declares rather unambiguously that Congress has the responsibility to "declare" war.

Truman's war in Korea -- The hatching of an American "commitment" -- Eisenhower: "My God, we must not lose Asia!" -- Kennedy: the coup that failed -- Johnson: "Let us continue" -- Nixon: "There is no way to win this war" -- One way or the other: getting out, finally -- "Honorable exit" or "decent interval" -- The Israel model: unprecedented and unpredictable -- Where are they now?