This book investigates the historical failure and public perception of United States civil defense programs from the post-World War II era through the end of the Cold War. Author Dee Garrison, a historian, utilizes an extensive array of primary sources—including government archives, personal papers, and oral histories—to argue that these programs were fundamentally ineffective and fostered a deep-seated distrust between the federal government and the American public. By examining the evolution of these initiatives alongside the rise of anti-civil defense protest movements, the text provides a critical analysis of how national security rhetoric often clashed with the realities of nuclear-age preparedness.

Experts recognize this work as a comprehensive study of the intersection between Cold War policy and grassroots activism. Readers frequently note the meticulous use of archival research to illustrate the disconnect between official government narratives and public sentiment.