The Cold War: A New History - John Lewis Gaddis

Obviously written by a cold war scholar, this book was an excellent distillation of the cold war, why and how it ended, and why it never escalated into an actual war. The writing was a teeny bit dry, but generally very accessible. Having read this book, I would like to someday read the author's longer, more in-depth books to delve into the details a bit more. Recommended.