Ronald Reagan, who in 1977 summarized his Cold War philosophy as “we win and they lose,” employed a strategy of “overdoing it,” i.e. attacking the Soviets on countless fronts. His initiatives included accelerating the arms build-up, advocating SDI, increasing assistance to anti-Communist forces in peripheral states, and verbally bludgeoning the “evil empire.”

Ironically in other contexts but not in the midst of a Cold War, Reagan was almost catastrophically “too successful.” Based on evidence including a 1983 nuclear alert in Europe that stemmed from the Soviet reaction to NATO maneuvers, Nichols concludes that Reagan came uncomfortably close to pushing the Soviets across the Cold War’s undrawn line. The Great Communicator himself seems to have perceived the peril; Reagan adopted a less confrontational tone and allowed the Soviet Union to begin dying—of natural causes. Of paramount importance, however, is one unalterable fact: Reagan’s approach ended in victory.

Nichols also notes the fortuitous outcome of the 1980 Republican primaries. George H.W. Bush had the perfect temperament to preside over a surprisingly benign Soviet decline; had he upset Reagan in 1980, his less confrontational style might well have precipitated another round of détente that would have afforded the Soviets additional years to foment their Marxist misery and an invaluable, albeit probably futile, opportunity to attempt to fix their ailing economy.

Winning concludes with a concise synopsis of the book’s lessons. Most importantly, Nichols contends, the West must remain in the arena, always standing up to the words and deeds of cold war adversaries; walking away is only an option if we want to walk all the way to a world of ideological repression. While daunting challenges will undoubtedly confront the West in the coming decades, we can take solace not only from Nichols’ cautious optimism but also from his recognition of the deceptively simple key to America’s continuing vitality. For anyone interested in a concise yet comprehensive examination of the past Cold War and the lessons that it has taught us about future cold wars, Winning is a winner.