Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) [Paperback]

Joseph M. Siracusa (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0199229546 | ISBN-13: 978-0199229543 | Publication Date: April 15, 2008

Despite not having been used in anger since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons are still the biggest threat that faces us in the 21st century. Indeed, for all the effort to reduce nuclear stockpiles to zero and to keep other nations (such as Iran) from developing nuclear capability, it seems that the Bomb is here to stay. In this gripping Very Short Introduction, Joseph M. Siracusa, an internationally respected authority on nuclear arms, provides a comprehensive, accessible, and at times chilling overview of the most deadly weapon ever invented. Siracusa explains the history of the arms race and the politics of the bomb, ranging from the technology of nuclear weapons, to the revolutionary implications of the H-bomb and the politics of nuclear deterrence. The issues are set against a backdrop of the changing international landscape, from the early days of development, through the Cold War, to the present-day controversy over George W. Bush's National Missile Defense, and the role of nuclear weapons in an Age of Terror. Providing an accessible and eye-opening backdrop to one of the most unsettling aspects of the modern world, this compact introduction is must reading.

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Nuclear Weapons: Questions for Consideration and Discussion

Was President Truman justified in his decision to order the bombing of Hiroshima? Was it necessary or unnecessary?

Why would North Korea want nuclear weapons? And what would it take for them to forgo their development?

Who was J. Robert Oppenheimer? And what does his career have to say about the role of science and scientists in the ongoing nuclear debate?

What was the significance of the Cold War in the evolution of nuclear weaponry?

Do you agree with the notion that the acquisition of nuclear weapons has become the Holy Grail of terrorists?

About the Author

Joseph M. Siracusa is Professor in International Studies and Director of Global Studies, at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He is internationally known for his writings on nuclear history, diplomacy, and presidential politics, and is also a frequent political affairs commentator in the media.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199229546
• ISBN-13: 978-0199229543
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #589,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New perspectives, good on science but..., June 13, 2009

By 

John Dynan (Highett, Vic Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Joseph M. Siracusa appears to be of American extraction but lives and works in Australia as a Professor of International Studies at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. The evidence of his origins can be found in the opening passage of his book when he describes his own recollection of the feeble practices instituted by the US Government in the 1950s to counter the threat of nuclear blasts against schoolchildren. The truth is, as he says, "America's schoolchildren would never have known what hit them".

The book is part of Oxford University Press's marvellous series of Very Short Introductions and while I had initial reservations about the historical elements of the book, Siracusa eventually won me over. The science of nuclear weapons is not well understood by the vast majority of people and Siracusa does attempt to explain it in layperson's terms. Having read Richard Rhodes' seminal work, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, I was reasonably well aware of the mechanics of the system but also very cognizant of the historical aspects, which are glossed over a bit too carelessly in this one, even for such a short book.

Once the basics are out of the way, the post WWII global scene is dealt with and Siracusa moves quite well between the various policies adopted by countries in a changing world where the balance of power shifted quite rapidly from US monopoly to a policy of containment as the Soviet Union developed their own weapons. Various developments are well discussed, as the development of the hydrogen bomb and missile technology evolved into Mutual Assured Destruction: MAD.

His explanations of the Reagan era Strategic Defense Initiative leads well into his perspectives on the end of the Cold War era and where it left us. There is an interesting discussion towards the end on deterrence policy and the role of missile defences in shaping policy. With the accession of G.W.Bush to the US Presidency, many SDI programs were re-invigorated and Siracusa explains the philosophical problems with recruiting friendly nations to support the program. He finishes with a short analysis of the possibilities of a terrorist bomb and how such a problem might occur.

This book did not win me over at first and it took a bit of effort to get into it. However the author kept the pace going quite well and with ample information available to him, it would have been something of a challenge to sift through it all. The book shows some signs of being put together in something of a hurry: Los Alamos is in New Mexico, not Mexico (p.17) and the only Rumsfeld I know of is Donald, not David (p.100).

The best part of the book for me would be the objectivity of the analysis, particularly when it came to comparing the various policies of the superpowers. That included some coverage of US decisions, previously unknown to me, which ultimately proved either futile or questionable. Not quite from the top drawer but definitely worth a look.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read!, June 28, 2009

By 

kclam (Hong Kong, China) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

This book offers a lively introduction to the history and politics of nuclear weapons. I find the review of effectiveness of non-proliferation efforts in recent years stimulating. For example, efforts to roll back the India-Pakistan nuclear arms race have been unsuccessful. However, within months of shutting down the international trafficking network of atomic technology and materials setup by Pakistani atomic scientist Dr. A. Q Khan in year 2004, Libya renounced its nuclear programme. By the way, brief account of the science of nuclear weapons and technology of "Star War" defense system are particularly interesting.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable introduction to nuclear weapons., May 4, 2008

By 

J. C. Flanagan - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

Joseph M. Siracusa's Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction is an invaluable addition to Oxford's Very Short Introduction series. Whatever one's background, this volume provides a concise and highly readable introduction to nuclear weapons. It examines all aspects of these terrible weapons, from the science behind their construction, to the politics they provoke, to the fears surrounding their proliferation.

In the minds of many climate change has eclipsed nuclear weapons as the paramount threat to the planet. Siracusa convincingly argues, however, that in this age of global terrorism we cannot afford to ignore the threat posed by nuclear weapons, which remain the gravest threat to humanity in the 21st century.

For those of us who have no background in nuclear physics, nor time to master the enormous body of literature on issues such as nuclear deterrence and proliferation, this comprehensive and accessible introduction will prove absolutely invaluable to understanding the nature, history and terrible significance of nuclear weapons.