This book examines the military side of what may be the major problem that faces civilization, comparing some of the alternatives that seem available and some of the implications of these choices.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"On Thermonuclear War was controversial when it was first published-and still is, today. No light reading, at well over 600 pages it packs in details from across disciplines and was widely read on both sides of the Iron Curtain: today its many insights on military strategies, issues, and the logic of amassing thermonuclear armaments still apply. It was the first book to examine the underlying logic of making and keeping nuclear weapons, originally created from a series of lectures, and provides both military and college-level collections with strong insights on military might and strategy." —The Midwest Book Review
"Kahn's classic On Thermonuclear War had been reissued by Transaction Publishing ... This could not come at a better time. Human nature has not made much moral progress since the end of the Third Reich but its very worst instinct for total destruction has, so far, been held at bay by the certainty of self-destruction. We need someone to remind us again of how to think about the unthinkable." —Mark Safranski, zenpundit.com
"New thoughts, particularly those which contradict current assumptions, are always painful for the human mind to contemplate. On Thermonuclear War is filled with such thoughts."
—Hubert H. Humphrey
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.About the Author
Herman Kahn (1922-1983) was a renowned political scientist, economist, historian geo-strategist, and considered by many to be the founder of futurology as a serious field of study. Associated for many years with the RAND Corporation, he was the founding director of the first independent “think tank,” the Hudson Institute. Among his many books are Thinking About the Unthinkable, The Year 2000, The Next 200 Years, The Coming Boom, The Resourceful Earth, and On Thermonuclear War.
Evan Jones is Herman Kahn's nephew. He is an historical analyst and game designer specializing in strategic simulations. He worked at the Hudson Institute in the mid-70s, primarily doing research used in The Next 200 Years.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Herman Kahn has had many epithets hurled at him in his day. It is even rumored that Stanley Kubrick based his Dr. Strangelove character after him.
But the truth is he does a job someone has to do when countries possess nuclear weapons.
In this book Kahn discusses the unthinkable: how would a nuclear war be fought and what would be the consequences. He does this in the only way it can be done-in a dispassionate way. He asks such questions as to whether civilization can survive a nuclear war and if so how long it would take for it to recover.
His conclusion based on the facts and technology of the time he wrote the book (1962) was that nuclear war was winnable. Detractors of the book saw it as advocating nuclear war which is far from the truth. How easy it is to shoot the messenger.
From many accounts of Kahn the man he was far from bloodless and he was in fact optimistic about the future.
As one reads this book one enters into the mind of a great thinker. He was a highly logical man who dared to take on a problem others saw as taboo. Some may not like the way he deals with the subject but as long as we possess nuclear weapons the problems and all of their ramifications must be considered.
A frightening yet interesting read.
Jim Connell "Hallstatt Prince"
But the truth is he does a job someone has to do when countries possess nuclear weapons.
In this book Kahn discusses the unthinkable: how would a nuclear war be fought and what would be the consequences. He does this in the only way it can be done-in a dispassionate way. He asks such questions as to whether civilization can survive a nuclear war and if so how long it would take for it to recover.
His conclusion based on the facts and technology of the time he wrote the book (1962) was that nuclear war was winnable. Detractors of the book saw it as advocating nuclear war which is far from the truth. How easy it is to shoot the messenger.
From many accounts of Kahn the man he was far from bloodless and he was in fact optimistic about the future.
As one reads this book one enters into the mind of a great thinker. He was a highly logical man who dared to take on a problem others saw as taboo. Some may not like the way he deals with the subject but as long as we possess nuclear weapons the problems and all of their ramifications must be considered.
A frightening yet interesting read.
Jim Connell "Hallstatt Prince"
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
On Thermonuclear War is a work from 1960 that runs counter to the conventional wisdom of his day, and which still exists to this day. He attacks the so-called "cataclysmic" view of nuclear war. Kahn provides numbers to show that a total nuclear war is survivable, and that our society could eventually recuperate. Make no mistake, at no point does he advocate nuclear war, he merely makes us face the fact that it could happen, and that we had better be prepared to deal with it. After all, the Soviets did. Although this book would seem to be dated in this Post-Cold War era, remember that we and the Russians still possess hefty nuclear arsenals, and the world is a much less stable place than during the Cold War. This book can be hard to read, given the plethora of technical information, but it is worth it.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
ON THERMONUCLEAR WAR was controversial when it was first published - and still is, today. No light reading, at well over 600 pages it packs in details from across disciplines and was widely read on both sides of the Iron Curtain: today its many insights on military strategies, issues, and the logic of amassing thermonuclear armaments still apply. It was the first book to examine the underlying logic of making and keeping nuclear weapons, originally created from a series of lectures, and provides both military and college-level collections with strong insights on military might and strategy.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Someone Had to do It
Herman Kahn's "On Thermonuclear War" may be appreciated on many levels. Firstly since his ideas were apparently too "real" for the RAND Institute, he went off and founded his own... Read more
Published on October 25, 2010 by Stephen M. Gorin
3.0 out of 5 stars
That's One Dense Book
This is something that should have been written in 200 pages or less by HK. Instead he drones on and on for over 600. Read more
Published on September 27, 2009 by paul
5.0 out of 5 stars
A captivating look at nuclear strategies
It's good to see this book back in print, even though nearly 50 years have passed since it was written, because it analyzes a topic of vital importance to national security. Read more
Published on December 25, 2008 by WHC
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I was expecting
The material was well thought out, but I couldn't get past all the outdated references.
Published on August 28, 2008 by Jeffrey Fryfogle
5.0 out of 5 stars
We are still here in spite of the likes of him.
Knowing the historical significance of this book at the time, I can say that it definitely deserves the 5 stars given. Read more
Published on December 28, 2005 by Mandrake
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent and inciteful book.
Although it was written in the 60s, this book has great relevancy to today. Mr. Kahn has the backbone to state his opinions without sugarcoating or clouding the facts. Read more
Published on February 3, 1999
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