1945: World War II ended. However, a new terror was just beginning... Here lies the truth behind every spy thriller we read: the reasons why America and the Soviet Union found themselves trapped in a deadly deadlock; how close we came to nuclear catastrophe; what the world leaders were thinking, from Stalin to Mao and from Reagan to Gorbachev; how secret agents conspired and how East German vacationers contributed to the fall of the Wall.

A story of negotiations and tricks, tyrants and power games – and of ordinary people who changed the course of history.

“John Lewis Gaddis is considered the dean among Cold War scholars” Noam Chomsky

What they said about the book: Wonderful... full of thrilling episodes. - Independent on Sunday

Gripping and well-written... A delightful book. - Evening Standard

The MODERN HISTORY series includes works by Greek and foreign authors about Greek, European, and world history with an incisive and unorthodox perspective. Today's inquiries are linked to the events, ideas, and dynamics of the past. The series highlights History as a living part of the identities and decisions that accompany our steps into the present and future.