The major defense policy issues facing the United States in the 1970s are examined by Morton H. Halperin. A revision of his earlier Contemporary Military Strategy, the book has been substantially up-dated and now includes discussion of the evolution of American policy through the first year of the Nixon administration. This book examines concepts and modes of analysis currently applied by American civilian strategists to policy-making, and used in academic analyses of international politics.

Hovedtemaet er, at Sovjet i stedet for at føre åben krig for at opnå verdensherredømmet foretrækker at føre "fredsstrategi" med ikke-voldelige midler for at nå sine mål. Disse midler omfatter stedfortræder-krige, støtte til befrielsesbevægelser og terroristgrupper samt forhandlinger, propaganda, misinformation m.m.

Prepared as part of a continuing program of research undertaken by the RAND Corporation for United States Air Force Project RAND.