At the Borderline of Armageddon: How American Presidents Managed the Atom Bomb

In this important new work, scholar, teacher, and diplomat James E. Goodby analyzes how American presidents have confronted the dilemma of nuclear weapons. Drawing on his own involvement in over fifty years of nuclear policy, he explores specific case studies to illustrate the decision making process and the delicate balance between international cooperation and freedom of action, between the rules of behavior and governmental autonomy.

James E. Goodby is a research affiliate with MIT’s Program on Science, Technology, and Society, where he dedicates his research to issues involving nuclear weapons. Goodby has served in a variety of diplomatic and policy positions in both Europe and Washington, placing strong emphasis on international security affairs. Among Goodby’s most recent books are The Gravest Danger: Nuclear Weapons, co-authored with Sidney Drell, and A Strategy for Stable Peace, co-authored with Petrus Buwalda and Dmitri Trenin. He is the recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the State Department’s Superior and Distinguished Honor Award, and the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit from the German government. In 1995, Goodby received the inaugural Heinz Award in Public Policy.