The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War

A double biography of Paul Nitze and George Kennan, the two Americans who held positions of great influence throughout the Cold War and were the chief advocates for opposing strategies in the conflict. Both rose to power during World War II and reached their professional peaks during the Cold War's most dangerous moments, engaging in political battles that spanned decades. Nitze, characterized as the hawk, was an insider who believed the best way to avoid nuclear war was to prepare to win one and was largely responsible for the arms race. Kennan, characterized as the dove, was a diplomat and academic whose "X article" argued for containing the Soviet Union while waiting for its internal collapse. For forty years, Kennan exercised more influence on foreign affairs than any other private citizen. Despite their opposing views, the two men remained lifelong friends, dining together and attending each other's children's weddings. Nicholas Thompson, grandson of one of them, traces their relationship and competing philosophies from the beginning of the Cold War to its end, telling the story of the nation during this dangerous period in history.