Part 1 Deterrence before Hiroshima: United States strategic bombing survey; announcement of the bombing of Hiroshima - Harry S.Truman. Part 2 Deterrence before the thermonuclear age, 1945-53: the implications of the atomic bomb for international relations, J.Viner; the atomic bomb and American security, B.Brodie; Finletter report - survival in the air age. Part 3 Massive retaliation: evolution of foreign policy, J.F.Dulles; securing peace through military technology, C.W.Sherwin; the delicate balance of terror, A.Wohlstetter; military power and national security, W.W.Kaufman (ed). Part 4 Assured destruction, 1961-73: speech to NATO council, Athens, R.S.McNamara; controlled response, T.C.Schelling; the case for population defense, D.G.Brennan; ballistic missile defence and the arms race, J.P.Ruinn and M.Gell-Mann; San Francisco speech, R.S.McNamara; On escalation, H.Kahn. Part5 Essential equivalence and the countervailing strategy: can nuclear deterrence last out the century, F.C.Ikle; annual defense department report, J.R.Schlesinger; US foreign policy for the 70s, R.Nixon; Newport address, H.Brown; countervailing strategy, W.Slocombe. Part 6 The future of nuclear strategy: the international context for US security, H.Kissinger; strategic deterrence thirty years later - what has changed, M.Bundy; victory is possible, C.S.Gray and K.Payne; Scowcroft report.