Publisher's Synopsis
Simons held an important position in US-Soviet relations for most of the 1980s. However, his account of policy development during this period is not confined to personal reminiscence. He tries, drawing on his training as a historian, to weigh events in their broader, more long term context.;As he explains in his preface, Simons felt that even the most sensational insider facts could not adequately explain the events that were happening around him. The historical approach naturally suggested itself, but not without misgivings borne out of the misuse to which history had been put during the Cold War. Nevertheless, despite this reservation, and the difficulty of writing a balanced account from such a near standpoint, Simons's attempt to understand the events of this historic decade should provide a useful starting-point for subsequent interpretations.
