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Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

Joseph M. Siracusa

April 2015

ISBN: 9780198727231

152 pages
Paperback
174x111mm

In Stock

Very Short Introductions

Price: £7.99

Set against the backdrop of an ever-changing international landscape, this Very Short Introduction explores both the history and politics of nuclear weapons. In this new edition, Joseph M. Siracusa includes a new concluding chapter, highlighting the significant lessons to be learnt from the history of the nuclear weapons era.

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Description

Set against the backdrop of an ever-changing international landscape, this Very Short Introduction explores both the history and politics of nuclear weapons. In this new edition, Joseph M. Siracusa includes a new concluding chapter, highlighting the significant lessons to be learnt from the history of the nuclear weapons era.

  • An accessible and eye-opening background to the most deadly weapon ever invented
  • Examines important and recurring questions about the role of nuclear weapons in modern-day international relations
  • Explores the global history of the early arms races, beginning with the Hiroshima decision, through to the dawn of nuclear deterrence politics, the Cold War, to what lies ahead
  • Places the enduring problems of nuclear weapons policy over the past few deacdes into an historical and global context
  • Examines all issues, from the legacy of missile defence systems and Star Wars, to the current debate regarding terrorism and nuclear alarmism
  • Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over seven million copies sold

New to this edition

  • Includes an up-to-date examination of American foreign policy under Obama and American's revised nuclear position
  • Includes a new chapter 7, focussing on the significant lessons to be learnt from the history of the nuclear weapons era
  • Examining the historical impact of nuclear weapons since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this new edition emphasizes the importance of an historical understanding of global nuclear policies

About the Author(s)

Joseph M. Siracusa, Professor in Human Security and International Diplomacy and Deputy Dean of Global and Language Studies, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia

Joseph M. Siracusa is Professor in Human Security and International Diplomacy and Deputy Dean of Global and Language Studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia. A native of Chicago and long-time resident of Australia, he studied at the University of Denver and the University of Vienna and received his PhD from the University of Colorado (Boulder). The author and co-author of numerous books, he is internationally known for his writings on the history of nuclear weapons, diplomacy, and global security.

Table of Contents

    Preface
    1:What are nuclear weapons?
    2:Building the bomb
    3:'A choice between the quick and the dead'
    4:Race for the H-bomb
    5:Nuclear deterrence and arms control
    6:Star wars and beyond
    7:Reflections on the atomic age
    References and further reading
    Index

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