The first volume of the history of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, written by the office's own Historical Office. It covers the founding of the office and key events, policies, and persons, especially in light of the early stages of the Cold War.

"[E]xamines the former Congressman Melvin Laird's efforts to reconstitute the Department of Defense during the last years of the Vietnam war... Laird acted to mitigate the adverse effects of the Vietnam War on the department and to prepare the nation's armed forces for the future. Foremost was the transition from a conscripted military to an all-volunteer force, a fundamental policy shift that ended an unpopular and inequitable draft system."--from jacket.

This history follows the development of the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force from its predecessor organization -the Assistant Secretary of War for Air during World War II-to its modem identity as one of three service secretariats within the Department of Defense. Watson vividly describes the influence of several Air Secretaries: Robert A. Lovett, W. Stuart Symington, Harold E. Talbott, and Eugene M Zuckert. Each made a personal contribution in defining and answering the military issues of the day, among them, the independence of the Air Force, the war in Korea, arguments over roles and missions, and nuclear strategy.