My journey at the nuclear brink / William J. Perry.

Includes bibliographical references : pages 199-216 and index.

The Cuban Missile Crisis : a nuclear nightmare -- A fire in the sky -- The rise of the Soviet missile threat and the race for data to understand it -- An original Silicon Valley entrepreneur and the advance of spy technology -- A call to serve -- Implementing the offset strategy and the emergence of stealth technology -- Buildup of the US nuclear force -- Nuclear alerts, arms control, and missed opportunities in nonproliferation -- The under secretary as diplomat -- Back in civilian life : the Cold War ends, but the nuclear journey continues -- A return to Washington : the new challenge of'loose nukes' and the lurching reform of defense acquisition -- I become secretary of defense -- Dismantling nuclear weapons and the legacy of Nunn-Lugar -- The crisis with North Korea : containing an emerging nuclear state -- Ratifying Start II and battling over the Test Ban Treaty -- NATO, peacekeeping in Bosnia, and the rise of security ties with Russia -- The'immaculate invasion' of Haiti and forging ties for western hemispheric security -- The'iron logic' between military capability and quality of life -- A farewell to arms -- The fall of security ties with Russia -- Seeking common ground with China, India, Pakistan, and Iran -- The North Korean policy review : triumph and tragedy -- Fiasco in Iraq : then and now -- Former'cold warriors' offer a new vision -- A way forward : hope for a world without nuclear weapons.