Peace Through Strength: How Reagan's Military Buildup Won the Cold War

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

In Peace Through Strength, Zakheim examines the largest peacetime military buildup and how it helped defeat the Soviet Union and bring the Cold War to an end. Drawing from President Reagan’s own words, firsthand accounts from Washington insiders, and archival research, the book explores how sustained military investment, allied confidence, and strategic clarity altered Soviet behavior and restored US credibility on the world stage.

“Peace through strength” became one of the defining strategic insights of the Reagan presidency. President Reagan pursued that strategy despite intense political, economic, and diplomatic opposition—arguing that rebuilding American military strength could help defeat the Soviet Union.

This is the first book to tell the full story of how President Ronald Reagan rebuilt American military strength—enabling the United States to win the Cold War without firing a shot. As Zakheim makes clear, the Reagan buildup is not merely a chapter in history. In today's era of renewed great-power competition, Peace Through Strength offers important lessons for restoring deterrence, resolve, and strength.