The Kremlin's Nuclear Sword: The Rise and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces, 1945-2000 [Hardcover]

Steven J. Zaloga (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 2002

The prevailing Western view of Russia’s Cold War strategic nuclear weapons policy is that it resulted from a two-part interplay between the leaders of the Communist Party and the military. Steven J. Zaloga has found that a third contributor—the Russian defense industry—also played a vital role.

Drawing from elusive Russian source material and interviews with many proud Russian and Ukrainian engineers, Zaloga presents a definitive account of Russia’s strategic forces, who built them, and why. The book is the first in English to refer to the weapons by their actual Soviet names, providing the bedrock for future works. Helpful appendices list U.S., NATO, and other designations, and the illustrations provide clear visual references.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steven Zaloga is a senior analyst for Teal Group Corp., an aerospace consulting firm. He also serves as an adjunct staff member with the Institute for Defense Analyses. He is the author of numerous books and articles on military technology and military history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (February 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588340074
• ISBN-13: 978-1588340078
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven Zaloga is a senior analyst for Teal Group Corp., an aerospace consulting firm. His professional specialization is the commercial and technological aspects of the international trade in missiles, precision guided munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles. He also serves as an adjunct staff member with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank.

Mr. Zaloga has published numerous books and articles on military technology and military history. His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He has been a special correspondent for "Jane's Intelligence Review" and is on the executive board of the "Journal of Slavic Military Studies". From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/director for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series "Firepower" that aired on The Discovery Channel in the US.

Mr. Zaloga was born in 1952 and received his BA in history from Union College, Schenectady, NY. He received an MA in history from Columbia University specializing in modern East European history, and did graduate research and language study at Uniwersitet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb History of Soviet/Russian Weapons System, February 11, 2003

By 

H. Campbell (houston, texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kremlin's Nuclear Sword: The Rise and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces, 1945-2000 (Hardcover)

Zaloga has done a masterful job of describing the internal politics that kept the Soviet program from achieving maximum efficiency in their arms race with the USA. Still, one has to admire the dogged determination the Soviets showed in this pursuit. He also updates the reader on the decrepit state of the post-Soviet arsenal today. That is even scarier than the past flirtation with Armageddon.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, January 10, 2004

By 

DaveH "dh" (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kremlin's Nuclear Sword: The Rise and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces, 1945-2000 (Hardcover)

Steve Zaloga does an amazing job discussing a very diverse subject that covers the entire Cold War period between the US and USSR. He not only describes the Kremlin's nuclear weapons technology, but he delivers a history of the politics that inspired the development and deployment of the weapons. Zaloga's style is smooth and keeps the reader interested in the topic, and he manages to keep the reader from being bored while covering the often-times mundane details. I would highly recommend this book for use withing a graduate level history course.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who the heck is Chelomei?!?!, November 16, 2008

By 

J. Page "tdrss" (Southwest USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Kremlin's Nuclear Sword: The Rise and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces, 1945-2000 (Hardcover)

Before I read this book (for a space history class at UND), I had only heard of Sergei Korolev and his work on the R-7 and Sputnik. My knowledge of the competing ICBMs was limited at best... but Mr. Zaloga's book widened my horizons immensely.

Anyone interested in the significant threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and the weapons still aimed at the United States by the Russian Federation should read this book. Its written in a interesting way - not too historical, not too technical - from a very knowledgable source.

Kudos to Mr. Zaloga! (thanks for explaining who Chelomei was... ;-)