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Jeffrey T. Richelson

Defusing Armageddon: Inside NEST, America's Secret Nuclear Bomb Squad Hardcover – February 2, 2009

by Jeffrey T. Richelson (Author)

9 ratings

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The first in-depth examination of NEST: America's super-secret government agency operating to prevent nuclear terrorist attacks.

Jeffrey T. Richelson reveals the history of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team, from the events leading to its creation in 1974 to today. Defusing Armageddon provides a behind-the-scenes look at NEST's personnel, operations, and detection and disablement equipment--employed in response to attempts at nuclear extortion, lost and stolen nuclear material, crashed nuclear-powered Soviet satellites, and al Qaeda's quest for nuclear weapons. Richelson traces the Cosmos satellite that crashed into the Canadian wilderness; nuclear threats to Los Angeles, New York, and other cities; and the surveillance of Muslim sites in the United States after 9/11. Relying on recently declassified documents and interviews with former NEST personnel, Richelson's extensive research reveals how NEST operated during the Cold War, how the agency has evolved, and its current efforts to reduce the chance of a nuclear device decimating an American city. 16 pages of illustrations; 4 maps

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date

February 2, 2009
Dimensions

6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

0393065154
ISBN-13

978-0393065152
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Created in 1974 and comprising skilled scientists and engineers, the Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) deals with threats of nuclear terrorism, tracks down lost or stolen nuclear material and provides technical assistance in disposing of it. In fact, according to Richelson, most threats are hoaxes or extortion schemes, and no genuine nuclear terrorist plot has come near to succeeding. Despite the lack of cliffhangers, Richelson tells plenty of gripping stories of H-bombs dropping out of planes, reactors misbehaving and a nuclear-powered Russian satellite crashing to earth. A National Security Archive senior fellow, Richelson (Spying on the Bomb) devotes most of the book to a meticulous history of NEST's makeup, training, the persistent squabbling over who controls it (currently the Department of Energy), and many important if undramatic missions such as helping ex-Soviet nations secure their nuclear stockpiles. The book makes a convincing and troubling case that much of the world's nuclear material remains in the hands of institutions and governments incompetent to protect it—a situation that promises to keep NEST busy. 16 pages of illus., 4 maps. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Jeffrey T. Richelson (1949―2017) was the author of several books on intelligence, including Spying on the Bomb and Defusing Armageddon. He was a Senior Fellow with the National Security Archive.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (February 2, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393065154
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393065152
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.37 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,561,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,101 in Nuclear Weapons & Warfare History (Books)
- #3,118 in Terrorism (Books)

Customer Reviews:
9 ratings

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5 star		40%
4 star		26%
3 star		12%
2 star		23%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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MDA

Reads like an attendance sheet

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2020

Verified Purchase

No story, just boring facts about boring subject matter.

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2014

Verified Purchase

Is Easy to read and interesting content. Maybe not the best book ever, but definitely a good story to read.

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2013

Verified Purchase

Don't think the author was inside anything. The book appears to be a collection of publicly available material and after a few scare stories about nuclear risk it settles down into a grind. Was interesting from the point of that you Americans have so many nutters!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

J. Ammeter

Definately an authentic story of NEST....

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2009

Verified Purchase

A close friend of mine was intimately involved in NEST and Livermore Lab... from what little he could share of his experiences, this book is extremely accurate...

11 people found this helpful

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