Russia's Doomsday Machine

When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Russia earlier this year, she gave the Russian foreign minister a big red “reset” button. In spite of a translation gaffe, the message was clear: the Obama Administration hopes to improve a tense relationship between the two countries.

During the height of the Cold War, American fears of a Soviet doomsday machine permiated popular culture. This ultimate weapon that would trigger an apocalyptic nightmare was the focus of the Stanley Kubrick satire Dr. Strangelove.

Wired editor Nicholas Thompson reveals new evidence of a real Soviet doomsday machine in his book The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War. Nicholas will be speaking at River Run Bookstore in Portsmouth on Monday, but before he heads up to the Granite State, he joins us from his office in New York.

The Hawk and the Dove website

Nicholas Thompson at River Run Bookstore