Forty years ago, America was fighting the Cold War. Bomb shelters proliferated in suburban backyards and schoolchildren practiced "duck and cover" drills in preparation for World War III. Until now, few people have been aware of how vital and active a part Dwight Eisenhower played in turning the world away from the conflict that threatened our nation and our planet. Now Eisenhower cabinet member and confidant Harold Stassen offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the man and the policies that steered the country through these challenging times. This book reveals a president undervalued by history -- not a grinning, good-natured bumbler, but a shrewd planner, a gifted communicator, and a seasoned leader. Supported by original documents and private letters, many only recently declassified, Stassen describes the major events of the era: Eisenhower's nomination and campaign, the Korean War, the McCarthy hearings, the East German famine relief effort, and the historic 1955 Geneva Summit that opened the dialogue between East and West. The man who emerges from these pages is Dwight Eisenhower as only a friend and colleague could know him -- a man whose example of leadership and commitment to peace carries an important message for today. Here, for the first time, is a revealing, eyewitness account of Eisenhower: Turning the World Toward Peace. - Jacket flap.