1. Prelude to the Brezhnev era -- 2. The early Brezhnev years : 1964-1968 -- 3. The middle Brezhnev years : 1969-1975 -- 4. The late Brezhnev years : 1976-1981 -- 5. Conclusion : the evolution of Soviet military thinking about conflict in the Third World.

This tale of modern warfare is told in three interwoven stories: the world of Washington policymaking; the hot spots of the Middle East, particularly Turkey; and a key venue of American arms manufacturing, Connecticut. These three disparate places have combined to produce one of the world's...