In this episode, Taylor Downing joins us to discuss his latest book "1983 The World at the Brink". Taylor is an historian who has written several best selling books (on topics like World War II and the Cold War). After getting some Cold War context, we dive into the question of how close the world came to nuclear Armageddon. Most of us know about the Cuban Missile Crisis, but the events of 1983 brought us even closer to the edge. We've asked Taylor about the significance of the doctrine of mutually assured destruction ("MAD") and whether that kept the superpowers at bay. This did not deter the US and Soviet Union from stockpiling their nuclear arsenals to full capacity. We discuss the presidency of Ronald Reagan and why Americans were so oblivious about the events that unfolded in 1983. Did the events of 1983 contribute to the end of the Cold? Find us on twitter at @WilliamHPalk or C_duPlessis.