The incredible story of the 1983 war game that triggered a tense, brittle period of nuclear brinkmanship between the United States and the former Soviet Union.

"July 2018"--Title page verso.

Part I: Decapitation -- Détente's rise and fall -- Toward protracted nuclear war -- Decapitation -- Man in the gap -- Project RYAN -- Warning -- Zero-zero -- Ivy League '82 -- Bogging down -- The view from London -- Part II: To the brink -- 1983 -- The Evil Empire -- SDI and sabotage -- Provocations -- Diamonds -- Spy vs. spy -- Green shoots -- The Phantom (part I) -- The Phantom (part II) -- The day before the day after -- Able Archer 83 -- FLASH telegram -- Validate and authenticate -- Open hatches -- Part III: Endgame(s) -- Sacrifice -- Warning of war -- Ivan and Anya -- What did we miss? -- Arguing on behalf of Soviet fears -- How can this be? -- Roll the dice -- A new hope, but still, star wars? -- Not to miss the chance -- To Geneva -- Epilogue.