Even though the late 20th and early 21st Centuries have averted a Third World War, and nuclear weapons have been confined to testing, permanent war has become a fact of life since 1945, as it has been since 4500 years ago when the first documented battles took place. World at War: 1945 to the Present Day scrutinizes the conflicts of the nuclear age. Contemporaneous reports and photographs, including many eyewitness accounts, offer stark illustrations of how the troubles developed, describing the key battles, tactical decisions, and turning points that have either brought a semblance of peace or persist in continuing hostilities.