William J. Perry was the 19th Secretary of Defense for the United States from February 1994 to January 1997. He previously served as Deputy Secretary of Defense (1993–1994) and as Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (1977–1981). He is the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor (emeritus) at Stanford University.

• 1. The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Nuclear Nightmare2. A Fire in the Sky3. The Rise of the Soviet Missile Threat and the Race for Data to Understand It4. An Original Silicon Valley Entrepreneur and the Advance of Spy Technology5. A Call to Serve6. Implementing the Offset Strategy and the Emergence of Stealth Technology7. Buildup of the US Nuclear Force8. Nuclear Alerts, Arms Control, and Missed Opportunities in Nonproliferation9. The Undersecretary as Diplomat10. Back in Civilian Life: The Cold War Ends But the Nuclear Journey Continues11. A Return to Washington: The New Challenge of "Loose Nukes" and the Lurching Reform of Defense Acquisition12. I Become Secretary of Defense13. Dismantling Nuclear Weapons and the Legacy of Nunn-Lugar14. The Crisis with North Korea: Containing a Nuclear State15. Ratifying Start II and Battling Over the Test Ban Treaty16. NATO, Peacekeeping in Bosnia, and the Rise of Security Ties With Russia17. The "Immaculate Invasion" of Haiti and Forging Ties for Western Hemispheric Unity18. The "Iron Logic" Between Military Capability and Quality of Life19. A Farewell to Arms20. The Fall of Security Ties with Russia21. The Fall of Security Ties with Russia22. The North Korean Policy Review: Triumph and Tragedy23. Fiasco in Iraq: Then and Now24. Former Cold Warrior Offer New Vision25. The Way Forward: Hope for a World Without Nuclear Weapons

"Perry, more technocrat than politician, emphasizes his efforts to prevent nuclear war in this sincere and nontriumphalist memoir."—Publishers Weekly "William Perry's dedicated service to our nation spans generations, and this remarkable book documents a lifetime of achievements that have made America stronger and safer. In these pages, you will have an insider's look at the acute tensions of the Cold War and the expansive opportunities that emerged when it ended. Dr. Perry's experiences demonstrate why we must do everything we can to reduce the dangers of nuclear proliferation. You will be inspired by the impact that one gifted individual can have on the most pressing national security challenges that we face."—Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall "Bill Perry has the highest A to E ratio (accomplishments to ego) of anyone I have ever known. His vision and foresight have made America safer, stronger and more secure. He has lived General Omar Bradley's dictum: 'The way to win an atomic war is to make certain it never starts.' Everyone interested in protecting the future of our nation and planet should read this book and learn from Bill's experience."—Former Senator Sam Nunn, Co-Chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative "Perry's authoritative memoir...is a clear, sobering and, for many, surprising warning that the danger of a nuclear catastrophe today is actually greater than it was during that era of U.S.-Soviet competition.a significant and insightful memoir and a necessary read." —Mortimer B. Zuckerman, U.S. News & World Report "In clear, detailed but powerful prose, Perry's new book, My Journey at the Nuclear Brink, tells the story of his seventy-year experience of the nuclear age. Beginning with his firsthand encounter with survivors living amid 'vast wastes of fused rubble' in the aftermath of World War II, his account takes us up to today when Perry is on an urgent mission to alert us to the dangerous nuclear road we are traveling."—Jerry Brown, The New York Review of Books "Perry has long been one of the more strenuous advocates for confronting the dangers of the nuclear age, and his engaging memoir explains why."—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs