The author has clearly done a huge amount of research both into the specifics of what happened at site 3747 and the us nuclear weapons program, including extensive interviews with key individuals. Jan 27, 2020 new book presents a secret history of nuclear war planning in america in the bomb, journalist fred kaplan reveals how u. Nuclear weapons testing and the making of a global environmental crisis. The book is primarily a book about the safety of nuclear weapons, the command and control system for us nuclear weapons and a detailed narrative of the disaster which destroyed a titan ii missile at site 3747 near damascus, arkansas in 1980. The effects of nuclear weapons by glasstone abebooks. Apr 04, 2017 new book reveals nanoweapons more problematic than nuclear weapons. Doctor, my son thinks hes a chicken, a father tells a. Nuclear forces and the w62 and w76 warheads 14 december 2006. Presidents, generals, and the secret history of nuclear war. May 18, 2018 moscow ap the russian military will soon receive new nuclear weapons, which are far ahead of any foreign designs, president vladimir putin said friday. Fission weapons are commonly referred to as atomic bombs, and fusion weapons are referred to as thermonuclear bombs or, more commonly, hydrogen bombs.
Nuclear weapons from groliers the new book of knowledge nuclear weapons are the most powerful weapons in the world. Updated the section 8 of the nuclear weapons frequently asked questions, the first nuclear weapons, now with diagrams. It is the first comprehensive, technicallyoriented history of. In his gripping new book command and control, eric schlosser shows that the united states has often relied on what he calls the illusion of safety when it comes to nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety is a 20 nonfiction book by eric schlosser about the history of nuclear weapons systems in the united states. A nuclear weapon, also known as a nuclear bomb or a nuke, is a weapon that suddenly releases the energy in the nucleus of certain types of atoms. There will be no better booklength case study on coercive nuclear diplomacy than the one just written by william burr.
New book reveals nanoweapons more problematic than nuclear. Moscow ap the russian military will soon receive new nuclear weapons, which are far ahead of any foreign designs, president vladimir putin said friday. New book on the peril of nuclear weapons highlights the. Kim jonguns regime now appears to be close, however. Dolan, was the effects of nuclear weapons, which came out in three editions between 1950 and 1977 originally titled the effects of atomic weapons. They may remain dormant for decades, yet must be immediately available during high alertreadiness levels.
Nuclear weapons are the most powerful weapons in the world. The new book revisits the foundational debates and explains how they have played out in more recent years. Eric schlosser and the illusion of nuclear weapons safety. The book is a fiction about the nuclear weapons of france. The bomb in this books title is the nuclear bomb, a weapon that has become increasingly powerful since relatively crude nuclear devices were dropped on hiroshima and nagasaki to end world war ii. The us could be getting 2 new nuclear capabilities. Sechser and matthew fuhrmanns recent book found that nuclear weapons are poor tools for coercion.
They are nonfiction books which relate to uranium mining, nuclear weapons andor nuclear power. The case against nuclear weapons has been made on many groundsincluding historical, political, and moral. The nuclear weapon archive a guide to nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons capability the heritage foundation. Nuclear weapons and american grand strategy brookings institution. Ron rosenbaums how the end begins lauds astonishing compilation of declassified documents on the bomb. One debating point in academic circles about nuclear weapons is whether they confer leverage in crises and in war. The trump administrations new nuclear warhead, a lowyield variety meant to provide a new layer of nuclear deterrence, has been fielded for the first time, aboard the submarine tennessee. Speaking at a meeting in sochi, putin said delivery of the new avangard hypersonic vehicle will begin next year, while the new sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile will enter duty in 2020. The book, command and control, examines the efforts of the military, since the atomic era began during world war ii, to prevent nuclear weapons from being stolen, sabotaged or. The other weapons failsafe mechanismsthe devices designed to prevent an accidental detonationwere subverted one by one, as eric schlosser recounts.
The five nations possessing nuclear weapons at that timethe united states, russia, china, britain, and francecommitted to nuclear disarmament. It was a finalist for the 2014 pulitzer prize for history. Clearwater dundurn press toronto 1998 from 1963 to 1984 us nuclear warheads armed canadian weapons systems in both canada and germany. Written in a clear, accessible, and jargonfree manner, the book also offers insights for. In spite of all this, i still recommend it to anyone seriously interested in american nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons must survive extremely complex and often harsh environments. Administrations agreed not to pressure israel to give up its undeclared nuclear weapons, was drafted during the clinton administration.
These highly complex technical challenges require a multidisciplinary approach of systems engineering supported by deep science. New nuclear weapons to enter duty in next few years. Why the arms race doesnt matterand what does berkeley. New book reveals nanoweapons more problematic than nuclear weapons. The pentagon is planning to develop two new seabased nuclear weapons to respond to russia and chinas growing military capabilities, according to a.
The literature of scholarly articles and books on u. As nuclear nonproliferation talks at the united nations focus on the middle east this week, we turn to new revelations about israels nuclear weapons program and its close alliance. North korea and nuclear weapons georgetown university press. Nuclear weapon, device designed to release energy in an explosive manner as a result of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, or a combination of the two. This first volume is the most authoritative and complete reference work available on u.
Mar 25, 2011 new book on the peril of nuclear weapons highlights the archives nuclear vault. Nuclear weapons from groliers the new book of knowledge. We are pleased to release our new book, revisiting south africas nuclear weapons program. Nuclear weapons from groliera s the new book of knowledge. Fission weapons also called atomic weapons make use of nuclear fission to produce an explosion. Staying engaged in the effort to prevent nuclear war requires an understanding of the history of nuclear weapons and the impact their use and production has had on people and the planet.
In these weapons, many nuclei undergo fission so rapidly that. And nuclear weapons can produce harmful effects that last far longer, and cover a far larger area, than the. You have to read eric schlossers brilliant, hairraising. Nuclear weapons and american grand strategy helps policymakers wrestle with the latest challenges. This book is a counter to the conventional wisdom that the united states can and should do more to reduce both the role of nuclear weapons in its security strategies and the number of weapons in its arsenal. One mans walk through the nuclear age 1999 the atom besieged. Incidents schlosser discusses in the book include the 1980 damascus titan missile explosion and the 1961 goldsboro b52 crash. New book presents a secret history of nuclear war planning in. Fast food nation author will return with book on nuclear. The nuclear information project provides the public with reliable information about the status and trends of the nuclear weapons arsenals of the worlds nucleararmed countries the project, which according to the washington post is one of the most widely sourced agencies for nuclear warhead counts, uses open sources such as official documents, testimonies, previously undisclosed. The source of nuclear potential energy also called binding energy or mass defect is the strong nuclear force also called the strong force or strong interaction between protons and neutrons. Perhaps his bestknown book, coauthored with philip j. Oct 15, 20 in his gripping new book command and control, eric schlosser shows that the united states has often relied on what he calls the illusion of safety when it comes to nuclear weapons. The new lowyield w762 nuclear warhead is extremely.
Building on ideas set forward in a series of wall street journal opeds, by shultz, perry, kissinger and nunn, the project links the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons with urgent steps that can be taken immediately to reduce nuclear dangers. Weve compiled a diverse list of some of the best books about nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons from grolieras the new book of knowledge. They are nonfiction books which relate to uranium mining, nuclear weapons andor nuclear power american prometheus.
New book on the peril of nuclear weapons highlights the archives nuclear vault. Recent and vintage movies about nuclear war, recommended books on nuclear weapons and nuclear policy. Nuclear weapons are powerful explosive devices that rapidly convert large amounts of nuclear potential energy to kinetic energy. This nuclear weapons databook is for those who want to understand the nuclear arms race and are not frightened by numbers. The explosion of a nuclear bomb produces destruction on a scale far vaster than the explosion of a conventional bomb. This is why america needs tons of nuclear weapons the. The introduction provides an overview of nuclear weapons physics, the second and third chapters cover postwar fission and thermonuclear weapons development, the fourth describes individual weapons and warheads, and a final chapter focuses on arming and fuzing systems. Although the price point is somewhat of a turnoff, its still a very solid single volume technical study of the subject, and one of those rare books on nuclear weapons that focuses solely on technical aspects. For example, the atomic bomb dropped on hiroshima, japan, in 1945, containing only about 64 kg 140 pounds of highly enriched. New book presents a secret history of nuclear war planning in america in the bomb, journalist fred kaplan reveals how u. Sep 15, 20 you have to read eric schlossers brilliant, hairraising book on americas nuclear mishaps. News about nuclear weapons, including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times. Presidents, generals, and the secret history of nuclear war, i recount a highly classified war game played by the national security council late in the obama.
Fred kaplan is a national security columnist for slate. And unlike nuclear weapons, no treaties ban the development of nanoweapons. Extraparliamentary dissent in france and germany 1981. Their significance may best be appreciated by the coining of the words kiloton 1,000 tons and megaton 1,000,000 tons to describe their blast energy in equivalent weights of the conventional chemical explosive tnt.
Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. The oscarshortlisted documentary command and control, directed by robert kenner, finds its origins in eric schlossers book and continues to explore the littleknown history of the management and safety concerns of americas nuclear aresenal. Dolan, was the effects of nuclear weapons, which came out in three editions between 1950 and 1977 originally titled the. Since their first nuclear test in 2006, north korea has struggled to perfect the required delivery systems. Its history, dismantlement, and lessons for today by david albright with andrea stricker. But, brad roberts argues, it has not so far been informed by the experience of. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety by eric schlosser, the making o. Oct, 2016 the five nations possessing nuclear weapons at that timethe united states, russia, china, britain, and francecommitted to nuclear disarmament. The book, command and control, examines the efforts of the military, since the atomic era began during world war ii, to prevent. University of california press, 1990, by william a. Oct 05, 2012 eric schlosser, the journalist and author of the bestselling fast food nation, has taken on the vexing issue of the control of nuclear weapons in a new book to be published by penguin press next year. Nov 03, 2019 smartphones are worse than nuclear weapons. One of the advantages of nuclear weapons, as disastrous things to invent go, is that they were. Recognizing that progress requires international consensus and action, the project is designed to motivate governments to rethink policies, change.
Man behind nuclear plans says were close to armageddon. The book alternates between the tragedy at site 3747 and a more or less chronological history of us nuclear weapons safety and command and control. Ellsberg helped write americas nuclear war plans during the 1960s cold war years, when the us and the soviet union competed to build the greatest and most menacing pile of weapons. Many of these findings depend on how one interprets and codes events.
618 1139 241 163 212 865 960 414 791 1298 133 142 717 778 1410 515 445 298 441 1331 1156 1659 131 867 1307 1667 49 401 1163 1018 1137 535 602 439 146 1165 228 431 151