In November 1983, NATO conducted Able Archer 83, a war game that realistically modeled a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. At a moment of heightened Cold War tensions following the downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007, this exercise raised the risk of an accidental nuclear war.

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of this often overlooked crisis, please join author Brian
Morra for a conversation on his historical novel The Able Archers. Based on the author's
experiences as an Air Force intelligence officer witnessing the events of the crisis unfold, The Able Archers follows a dramatization of the events surrounding Able Archer 83 and the urgent efforts by military and intelligence officials from both the Soviet Union and the United States to prevent the escalation to Armageddon.

Brian Morra will be joined by GW alum Nate Jones, editor of Able Archer 83: The Secret History of the NATO Exercise That Almost Triggered Nuclear War. The discussion will be moderated by Hope Harrison, a leading Cold War expert and Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University.

The event will begin promptly at 12:30 PM. Refreshments will be provided.

Brian Morra is a former intelligence officer and is a retired senior aerospace executive. He
serves on corporate boards and is the award-winning author of the historical novel The Able Archers.

Nate Jones is the Freedom of Information Act Director at the Washington Post and a fellow at the National Security Archive at George Washington University.

Hope Harrison is Professor of History and International Affairs at The George Washington
University. She is an expert on Germany, Russia, the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, and the
politics and culture of memory.

This event is co-sponsored by:
The GW National Security Studies Program

The Elliott School Leadership, Ethics, and Practice (LEAP) Initiative

The Security Policy Studies Program
The Master of International Policy and Practice Program