Peace Through Strength

The definitive book on the Reagan-era defense buildup, written by a Washington insider.

In Peace Through Strength, Roger Zackheim revisits the Reagan-era defense buildup that reshaped American power and helped bring the Cold War to a close. Drawing on policy history, strategic analysis, and lessons from inside Washington, Zackheim examines how sustained military investment, allied confidence, and strategic clarity altered Soviet behavior and restored U.S. credibility on the world stage. Far from a relic of the past, the Reagan doctrine offers urgent insights for today’s era of renewed great-power competition—when deterrence, resolve, and strength once again shape the prospects for peace.