Miller, a former nuclear weapons delivery pilot and participant in the development of some of the nation's strategic nuclear plans, tells the story behind the US stockpile of about 10,000 strategic nuclear weapons that was created during the Cold War. He covers the efforts to keep the stockpile under control with the aim of learning from the past so that we never again create such a stockpile. He describes why and how the buildup happened; the policies and problems faced by presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama; the associated strategies, targeting and attack plans, and arms control measures; the role of the military in establishing requirements and the role of scientists in meeting them; the failure of the media and academia to educate the public about nuclear warfare; the weapons and delivery systems and strengths and weaknesses of each; and individuals who participated in developing policies, strategies, and plans for the use of the stockpile. He concludes by reviewing likely threat scenarios and possible actions to bring the nuclear force into line Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less