Specialists on nuclear strategy address questions such as how a nuclear war might occur, where the real dangers of nuclear conflict lie, and how to reduce them. They argue that a major nuclear war will not spring full-blown, but will arise from a conventional war that drags in the superpowers. They present five paths to nuclear conflict: surprise attack, accident, escalation of conflict in Europe, escalation of conflict in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, and catalytic ignition of war by third parties. They explore how changes in forces, technology, and political life affect the way events might travel down each path, and examine the scenarios from the Soviet viewpoint as well. They conclude with an assessment of the various policies from the perspective of "owls," those concerned with the risk of war coming from a loss of control and offer specific policy recommendations to reduce the risk of nuclear war.