US Strategic and Defensive Missile Systems 1950-2004 [Paperback]

Mark Berhow (Author), Chris Taylor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2005

For 40 years following the end of World War II, the Western democratic governments and the Eastern Bloc Communist powers were locked in the ideological, political, and economic struggle of the Cold War. The United States and the Soviet Union developed missile systems capable of delivering conventional and nuclear explosives against enemy massed bomber formations in the air, and of delivering retaliatory nuclear payloads against ground targets located on distant continents. The missile systems played both a defensive role, and a potential offensive role, which was parlayed to the public as deterrence against attack by the rival bloc. This title provides a detailed overview of the fixed-launch-site strategic missile systems of the United States.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark A. Berhow has long had an interest in the history of American missile defense systems, and is the co-author of Rings of Supersonic Steel: Air Defenses of the United States Army 1950–1979. He was worked at the Fort MacArthur Museum and the Nike missile post in Los Angeles for over 10 years, and is a past chairman of the Coast Defense Study Group (CDSG), an organization dedicated to the study of seacoast fortifications in the United States and around the world. He has written and co-written numerous books, including Fortress 4: American Defenses of Corregidor and Manila Bay 1898–1945. Mark lives in Peoria, Illinois.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (September 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841768383
• ISBN-13: 978-1841768380
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #476,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cold War History, January 15, 2007

By 

Doyle D. Piland "archivist" (Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: US Strategic and Defensive Missile Systems 1950-2004 (Paperback)

A very informative reference book for those interested in the history of the Cold War era and the follow-on efforts that remain in effect.

This book, along with Rings of Supersonic Steel co-authored by Mark Berhow and Mark Morgan, can answer many questions for not only historians, but also for those who might have lived near some of these Cold War facilities without understanding what was there, nor why they were there.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overall Look at the Development of US Missile Systems, October 18, 2008

By 

J. Garbinski "Peacemaker Press" (Dover, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: US Strategic and Defensive Missile Systems 1950-2004 (Paperback)

This is a brief but detailed look at the development of US missile systems. The book is an invaluable reference to every system developed by the United States.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very short, November 23, 2009

By 

Gordon Ewasiuk (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: US Strategic and Defensive Missile Systems 1950-2004 (Paperback)

A lot of info is packed into 64pages...but it's still 64 pages. Covering fifty years of technology is 64pages seems a bit rushed. The content was accurate, informative, and interesting...but not for the price I paid.