John F. Kennedy and the Missile Gap (Northern Illinois University Press, 2004) explores the interaction between politics and economics in the debate over U.S. national security strategy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Preble shows how Kennedy tapped into the deep anxiety of the late 1950s, as millions of Americans feared that the Soviet Union's technological successes posed a direct and imminent threat to U.S. security. This perception of insecurity, encapsulated in the phrase missile gap, extended well below a concern over missiles and rockets, and included broader doubts about America's capacity for fighting and defeating communism abroad.

John F. Kennedy and the Missile Gap is a historical case study that informs contemporary discussions of national security strategy and the structure of the nation's military.

Preble will discuss his book at Barnes and Noble, 555 12th Street, Washington, DC.

The event begins at 7:00 pm, and is open to the public.

For more information, contact Heather Haines at (202) 347-0176, or Christopher Preble at (202) 218-4630.