The Cold War was a multifaceted, global struggle with its origins in earlier conflicts. The nearly fifty year struggle centered around the two ideologically opposed superpowers that emerged from World War II: the Soviet Union and the United States. Although the Soviets and Americans teetered on the edge of nuclear warfare during these uncertain years, the threat of mutual destruction served as an effective deterrent from direct aggression.

The exhibit highlights works of non-fiction and spy novels from the William F. Causey Collection. The biographies, histories, and memoirs on display offer some insight into the diplomatic and military mindset of the United States and its allies during the Cold War with emphasis on the Cuban Missile Crisis. Several of the featured authors, including John Le Carré and Graham Greene, drew from their own experiences working as spies while writing their novels.  The exhibit will be on display on the second floor of American University library through the end of 2014.