For thirty years, Robert S. McNamara held national and international responsibilities in a world dominated by the Cold War. Towards the end of his career he began to believe the Cold War could be ended, freeing the United States from enormous defense budgets and crippling fears of nuclear war.

Out of the Cold clarifies the issues, gives a penetrating analysis of the Cold War, and answers major doubts about Gorbachev's perestroika. McNamara argues that if we are bold today, the next century of the United States and the world will prosper as never before.