Why did the fall of the Berlin Wall, and then the Soviet Union, come as such great surprises? Could the tragedies of the Vietnam War have been avoided? How did the US and USSR manage not to use nuclear weapons they had built at such great cost? The Cold War dominated world affairs for nearly half a century, but its sheer scope and complexity make it difficult to address some of its most compelling mysteries. We are also burdened by partial information, selective memory, and underappreciated prior history. By focusing on selected issues, and with the benefit of more recent work, the essays of The Labyrinth We Walked seek to provide new insights and encourage readers to see the period with fresh perspectives.