The history of the Cold War has focused overwhelmingly on statecraft and
military power, an approach that has naturally placed Moscow and
Washington center stage. Meanwhile, regions such as Alaska, the polar
landscapes, and the cold areas of the Soviet periphery have received
little attention. However, such environments were of no small importance
during the Cold War: in addition to their symbolic significance, they
also had direct implications for everything from military strategy to
natural resource management. Through histories of these extremely cold
environments, this volume makes a novel intervention in Cold War
historiography, one whose global and transnational approach undermines
the simple opposition of "East" and "West."