Join us for an in-store book signing with Francis Gary Powers Jr., one of the authors of Cold War Virginia.
The Old Dominion's defense of democracy…
The Commonwealth played a central role in United States involvement during the Cold War. With doomsday planning operations underway for World War III, the location of the Pentagon, CIA and other federal agencies established Northern Virginia as an epicenter of decision-making. As Virginia military bases readied for a potential surprise attack by the Soviet Union, local research facilities played a paramount role in the Space Race. In 1960, the Soviet Union's shoot-down of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, a Virginia native, created a superpower crisis of epic proportions.
Cold War historians
Francis Gary Powers Jr. and Christopher Sturdevant tell these and other tales of espionage, heroism and betrayal.
About the Author
Born June 5, 1965, Gary holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and a Master’s Degree in US History. Gary is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of The Cold War Museum located at Vint Hill, VA. He is the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study which assists the National Park Service to identify historic Cold War sites for preservation. In 2015, he consulted for a Steven Spielberg thriller, Bridge of Spies, about the 1962 spy exchange between KGB spy Rudolph Abel and CIA U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, Sr. Gary is the author of Letters from a Soviet Prison and Spy Pilot. He lectures internationally, appears regularly on news broadcasts, and is married with one son.
