Customer Reviews

The Politics of Space Security: Strategic Restraint and the Pursuit of National Interests

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Clay Moltz has done us a great service by producing an accurate, thorough, and well-reasoned account of national and global space security, including how we got where we are and where we might be going. This is particularly refreshing because much of the writing that has been done on this topic in recent years has lacked some or all of the above qualities.
The majority of the book (about 230 of the 329 pages of text) takes us through the first half-century of the space age from the perspective of space security issues. This is more than just a litany of geopolitical events, technological developments, and international agreements. It is a well-crafted retelling that ties together a multitude of threads in a way that brings clarity to the discussion of the philosophies, political motivations, and range of potential behaviors in space security activities. Those who are steeped in the history and policy of this subject will tread familiar ground in this 50-year narrative, and will find it valuable as a well-documented reference. For those who are new to the subject, this book is perhaps the quickest way to get up to speed as it consolidates a wealth of literature into one understandable package. It will make an outstanding textbook for graduate courses in security policy, and also for advanced undergraduates.
The author clearly draws on dissertation research that was done 20 years earlier, but it is updated and merged smoothly with more recent work that benefits from two decades of further research and experience. The numerous footnotes are a great resource and many include web addresses of source documents. In addition to the references, there are a significant number of informational footnotes. My only quibble with the presentation is that these notes typically contain material that could have been incorporated into the main text without distracting from the narrative.
The book's conclusions are that continued military restraint in space is in the best interests of U.S. and global security, and that transnational partnerships are to be encouraged. This summary statement (in my own words) does not do justice to the logical and balanced argument that Clay Moltz presents. He also recognizes that the future could take any of several different vectors, which makes me hope that Clay will revise this book every few years. But don't wait for the next edition. If you have any interest in this subject, read the book - whether or not you agree with his conclusions.