The author explains the rise of the two superpowers immediately after World War II and discusses the historical controversy over the origins of the Cold War. He describes the growing confrontation between East and West in Europe dating from the announcement of the Truman Doctrine in 1949 to the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

The analysis includes coverage of the extension of the conflict beyond Europe to China, Korea, and Vietnam and also to the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The author highlights the role of Nixon and Kissinger in an examination of the rise and fall of detente during the 1970s. He explains, too, how superpower relations were dramatically altered during the 1980s by the impact of Reagan and Gorbachev. Finally, the book offers an assessment of the reasons for the sudden ending of the Cold War and its final outcome.