Reviews (26)

Political correctness triumphs over integrity
I got this book prompted by Allison's brilliant "Essence of Decision" on the Cuban Missile Crisis.Nuclear Terrorism starts out well with an informative discussion of the nuts and bolts and history of nuclear proliferation.However, the final third of the book was a major disappointment.I suspect that Dr. Allison was mostly concerned with continuing to receive invitations to stylish cocktail parties in academia and felt obliged to bash the Bush policy on Iraq and to tout precisely the namby-pamby gutless policies he had just pointed out had failed to work consistently in the past.We should have a more "humble" foreign policy and get all other nations to agree not to let any other nations have nuclear weapons.That's what we tried to do during the 1990s and now face a nuclear North Korea, Pakistan, and possibly Iran, whereas Bush's get-tough policy kicked Libya out of the potential nuclear club.I would have expected better of Allison.

Depressing
According to a growing number of authorities I have read in recent years, a nuclear attack on the United States is almost inevitable.The bomb(s) will not come by intercontinental missile, but will be smuggled into the country, carried by car to most likely New York or Washington D.C., and detonated.Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of people will die.It will be the worst catastrophe to befall the US ever and may result in world-wide social, political and economic chaos.The US may or may not know who planted the bomb, but you can be sure that some action will be taken, possibly of a nuclear nature.
Informative, interesting and hair-raising...
There are very few books I have read which have actually changed the way I live my life. This book is one of them. With solid facts, talented writing and attention to a singe topic, Graham Allison paints a vision of a possible future in which nuclear terrorism will become a part of American history.
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Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. International Relations - Arms Control    3. Nuclear Proliferation    4. Nuclear terrorism    5. Nuclear weapons    6. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    7. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    8. Political Ideologies - General    9. Political Science    10. Political Terrorism    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Prevention    14. Terrorism    15. United States    16. Political Science / Arms Control   

Reviews (8)

Nice research, though lot of it unsubstantiated
This book is an excellent piece of work on Nuclear Proliferation. Things that I would have liked to see in this book :
The History of the "Nuke's R Us" Network

Ego = mc squared
The nuclear five missed an opportunity to give up their arsenal and get everyone's covenant to stay away from the bomb.It is only natural that some states and some nations sought to avoid the "less than equal" status by joining the nuclear club overtly and covertly.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Pakistan    2. International Relations - Arms Control    3. Military Science    4. Nuclear nonproliferation    5. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Security, International    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Political Science / Arms Control    12. Politics | Comparative Politics | Africa   

Reviews (3)

Understanding America's Conflict with Iran Made Easy
I have read Shuster's Book "The Strangling of Persia"; Kermit Roosevelt's book "Countercoup, Struggle for Control of Iran" and Ambassador Sullivan's book "My Mission to Iran".. if I had waited for this book, I would have saved a lot of time.. Dr. Ansari captures the entire period in a lucid, easy-read and objective manner.A must read for anyone interested in the Middle East and the turmoil created by the recent administrations.

Excellent Assesment of US-Iran Relations
This is a fast reading, informative, and mind opening book on the history of US - Iran relations as well as an analysis of the relationship and its consequenses for today. It is unbiased and gives a great apeal to policy makers on both sides of the equation to reconcile their differences, move away from domestic rhetoric, and reestablish the best possible peaceful equilibrium with each other.

We've Made Some Serious Errors!
Iran possesses the second-largest reserves of oil in the world, as well as the second largest natural gas reserves.Thus, their importance is hard to overestimate.
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Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Asia - General    3. Foreign relations    4. History - General History    5. International Relations (Specific Aspects)    6. International Relations - Arms Control    7. International Relations - General    8. Iran    9. Middle East - Iran    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. United States    14. United States - General    15. International relations   

Reviews (29)

As usual, an excellent comportment of the facts...
An excellent, factual read.I tried to pick apart the book, but Lott is far better a statistician than I, so his work holds up.
Well-written, rigorous, but a bit dry for the average reader
"Too often, the debate over guns is a philosophical one, pitting the freedom of gun owners against the safety of everyone else," says economist Dr. John Lott in The Bias Against Guns: Why Almost Everything You've Heard About Gun Control is Wrong.
A wake up call about gun control
This is a follow-up to his 1998 book "More Guns, Less Crime", which showed that rising gun ownership was resulting in lower violent crime statistics. He proves with statistical facts that Gun Control laws do not reduce Gun Violence, but have increased gun crime every time they are tried. Since the 1998 book came out before 9/11 happened, he now talks about how gun ownership surged after 9/11, and that again gun crime has gone down (further proving his point). He also talks about how the public falsely believes that guns don't do any good, because the press never reports on stories where a gun in a citizen's hand saved lives. Everything has all the statistics to back his claims up. This book proves once again that the gun-grabbers argument is only based on emotion. Highly recommended!
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Subjects:  1. Firearms    2. Gun control    3. International Relations - Arms Control    4. Law and legislation    5. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public opinion    10. United States    11. Violent crimes    12. Political Science / Arms Control    13. Social issues   

Subjects:  1. Arms control    2. Conflict management    3. International Relations - Arms Control    4. International Relations - General    5. Peace    6. Political Science    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Social Psychology    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - General    11. War    12. Peace studies    13. Psychology    14. Psychology & Psychiatry / Applied Psychology   

Reviews (8)

How We Know
This is a detailed study of what we know about the different atomic weapons holdings and development efforts and how we obtained that knowledge.Jeffrey Richelson describes all the development efforts from war-time Germany to Iran and North Korea today.He particularly brings across the importance of the different airborne and satellite surveillance programs, showing how the need for airplane over-flights diminished as higher and higher resolution imagery became available from the KH series reconnaissance satellites.
The Definitive History of Nuclear Espionage
Dr. Jeffrey T. Richelson, arguably the most prolific and certainly the most technically correct writer about the U.S. intelligence community, has done it again. "Spying on the Bomb" describes, in Dr. Richelson's usual thorough and well-researched manner, the U.S. intelligence community's efforts to track--and influence--other nations' attempts to develop nuclear weapons.
A fascinating account on what our activities and capabilities have been in discovering the development of nuclear weapons.
Jeffrey T. Richelson chronicles the efforts the United States has made to deal with the threat of atomic and nuclear weapons from they were first conceived in the 1930s and `40s through the gathering of intelligence.You know, spying.The building of our own (the United States') nuclear arsenal is well chronicled in other books.This volume is more about the kinds of methods that were developed in the human intelligence and technical intelligence areas and the debates that have raged over the decades in interpreting the meaning of what was found out.I found the gradual growth of the intelligence bureaucracy and how each component of the CIA versus the State Department versus the Military became predictable in its interpretation of evidence of nuclear activity fascinating and distressing.It is hard to have confidence that our nation is getting a handle on the threats facing us when intelligence interpretation is more about turf wars than truly understanding what is happening in the laboratories and processing plants of our enemies.
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Subjects:  1. Espionage, American    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History - Military / War    6. International Relations - Arms Control    7. Military    8. Military - General    9. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    10. Military - Nuclear Warfare    11. Nuclear weapons    12. Nuclear weapons information    13. Research    14. United States - 20th Century    15. Espionage & secret services    16. History / General    17. USA   

Reviews (32)

Great reporting and analysis of the Iranian problems we face
Iran is in the news nowadays for very important reasons.It is ruled by a regime that is bent on creating its own atomic weapons and has the expressed intention of doing harm to us and our allies.Additionally, it is supporting the Shiite side of the struggles within Iraq and actively undermining our efforts there and the Iraqi attempts at self-rule and democracy.Iran is also supporting Syria and through them Hezbollah and their attacks on Israel and the West.
Wake up call?
This book was informative as far as explaining who some of these groups are in the middle east.But it adds to the aggravation of being told the same old fairy tales over and over again which by now have been proven not to be the truth!When are these people "in the know" going to get it?

The American hard stand against Iran is not a matter of oil, democracy, or geopolitics. It's about the security of Israel.
The book is very informative regarding the nuclear ambitions of Iran and gives horrific details about repression in this country and the multitude of crimes commited against the women and anyone who does not support the theocratic regime. Mr Corsi goes far beyond this though, accusing the Democrats that they "endorsed the mullahs" and even took money from them for the Kerry-Edwards campaign of 2004. He is very caustic against Kerry for his suggestions that the US must first gather support from its allies and use diplomatic means and sanctions against Iran, before choosing the military option, but this is exactly what the Bush administration has done so far! The author has the view that the US are in clear danger of suffering a nuclear catastrophe of terrible proportions if it allows Iran to build nuclear weapons (the vivid description of a hypothetical nuclear detonation in New York is really shocking!) but he does not hide that the US must also fight to prevent an attack on Israel, which he calls "the canary in the mine". Mr Corsi explains with honesty why Israel may decide to strike first, why it may risk wholesale destruction (the "Samson Option") in order to take out Iranian nukes and how it manipulates the US decision-making through the loby and the Evangelical church. The chapters against Kerry and the Democrats offer little to the knowledge of the Iranian crisis, and as a European, I think that describing the US Democratic party as "Left" is a little absurd, to say the least. If we believe Mr Corsi's book, Americans must be ready to fight and die for Israel because this country is a democratic bastion in the Middle East, but is this really a matter for US policy? Washington also supports dictators worldwide, like General Musaraf of Pakistan and the military junta that really rules Turkey for the last 80 years. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign relations    2. International Relations - Arms Control    3. International Relations - Treaties    4. Iran    5. Military policy    6. Nuclear arms control    7. Nuclear weapons    8. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    9. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. United States    14. International relations   

Reviews (2)

MIKE KRAWCHECK'S REVIEW
THIS BOOK IS INTERESTING, INFORMATIVE, WELL-WRITTEN AND VERY TIMELY.WHETHER WE IN THE UNITED STATES LIKE IT OR NOT, THE THREAT OF POSSIBLE MILITARY INTERVENTION AND SANCTIONS NO LONGER INTIMIDATES ROGUE NATIONS INTO ABIDING BY THE EXACT WISHES OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS AND INSTITUTIONS.JIMMY CARTER BELIEVES IN FACE-TO-FACE DIALOGUE AND KEEPING LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN WHENEVER HUMANLY POSSIBLE.THERE MAY BE LITTLE OTHER RECOURSE IN THE MODERN ARENA.DURING MY ALMOST FIFTY YEARS IN BUSINESS, I HAVE OFTEN USED A SIMILAR APPROACH TO ACHIEVE WHAT APPEARED T0 BE INSURMOUNTABLE OBJECTIVES, BASICALLY THROUGH DILIGENT PERSONAL NEGOTIATIONS.THAT IS WHAT THIS IMPORTANT BOOK IS ALL ABOUT.

Carter is willing to listenfirst, andthen offer legitimate compromise
A powerful book about a man who truly understands how to deal with our world enemies. He's not afraid to "look meek" if it will accomplish fair and honest opportunities for discussions about our differences and concerns. His knowledge on "atomic" matters is unmatched for a world leader.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Diplomacy    3. Foreign relations    4. History    5. History: American    6. International Relations - Arms Control    7. International Relations - Diplomacy    8. International Relations - General    9. Korea (North)    10. Nuclear Proliferation    11. Nuclear crisis control    12. Politics - Current Events    13. Politics / Current Events    14. United States    15. United States - 20th Century    16. International relations    17. North Korea    18. USA   

Reviews (2)

arcane and heavy poli sci approach
This is a book for extreme experts:academics, nuclear strategy buffs, and the occasional pundit in search of its peculiar logic.Forgive my naivete, but it also exemplifies why academia is viewed by so many as a boring world of, well, extreme experts of recondite trivia - even when it deals with the potential destruction of industrial civilization.In my view, this book utterly fails to cross over to the interested non-specialist or those who are not writing a dissertation but just want a good read.I never would have cracked this if it wasn't for work. A Comprehensive History of Nuclear Strategy
Lawrence Freedman was written many important articles and books but _The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy_ is probably his best.He presents a comprehensive analysis of the development nuclear strategy from 1945 to the end of the Cold War.The book usefully explains a multitude of concepts such as second strike capabilities, massive retaliation, and selective options.Freedman gives added depth by covering nuclear strategy in China, Europe, and the Soviet Union.Read more

Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. International Relations - Arms Control    3. International Relations - General    4. Military - Nuclear Warfare    5. Military - Strategy    6. Military policy    7. Nuclear warfare    8. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    9. Political Science    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Defence strategy, planning & research    12. Nuclear weapons    13. Political Science / International Security   

Reviews (1)

Simple debate, tremendous consequences
This books puts together two colliding authors on whether the proliferation of nuclear weapons is a good idea or not.Waltz, one fo the premier figures of realpolitik, argues (brilliantly, even though I disagree with him) that proliferation is a good idea.Sagan argues there are too many organizational risks in the proliferation system.Read more

Subjects:  1. Arms race    2. Ballistic missile defenses    3. General    4. International Relations - Arms Control    5. Modern - 20th Century/Nuclear Age    6. Nuclear nonproliferation    7. Nuclear terrorism    8. Nuclear weapons    9. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Arms negotiation & control    14. International relations   

Reviews (2)

"A Million and a Trillion"
After the first Gulf War, several second/third world countries made the observation that the technical and other advantages possesed by the U. S. make it imperative that any country concerned about an attack from the United States have nuclear weapons. I note that I don't see President Bush talking much about attacking North Korea. General Gary Luck offered a quick sound bite on the costs of a war in N. Korea: "one million casualties, one trillion dollars in industrial damage and lost business."
An accessible yet academic look at the Korean crisis
Professors Cha and Kang come at the current and historic crisis in North Korea from different angles:Cha from a more "realist" view of international relations, Kang from a more "liberal" view.The book is a series of several chapters written alternately by Cha and Kang with each pair of chapters focusing on one aspect of the Korean problem.Both view North Korea as being entirely "rational," and make a point to discredit 30-second sound byte types of analyses of North Korea's decisionmaking process.Cha finds that it is perfectly rational for North Korea to attack or go nuclear even if the end result has a high probability of resulting in total destruction, because the status quo is so unbearable that the North is willing to bear the risk.Kang suggests that increased economic development, integration into the world economy, and the introduction of market forces will alter North Korea's cost-benefit analysis and push it away from violent military action or the active pursuit of a nuclear weapons program.In the end, both agree that the default strategy for the United States is engagement.Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign relations    2. International Relations - Arms Control    3. Korea (North)    4. Military Science    5. Military policy    6. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. Arms negotiation & control    12. Cambodia    13. International relations    14. Political Science / International Security   

Reviews (5)

Some history and thoughts on how to deal with this crisis.
This is an excellent overall summary of the crisis with North Korea over nukes.Chang packs a lot into this book.He gives a history of the Kimist regime in North Korea.The Kims are more totalitarian, than communist.He then relates the series of events which the father and son regime have taken in regard to the armed forces and specifically nukes.This regime has been using maximum deception on the west.It makes agreements, then breaks them.Kim doesn't even care about his people.He will let them starve if that means he can get nuclear weapons.His sole goal is to stay in power and if that means nuclear war, he is willing to risk it.
No Real Answers
North Korea is the only nation so far to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.It possesses an estimated 7-10 nuclear weapons (believed to mostly have been created post-Bush II) and the missiles to deliver them.North Korea has also said it might sell nuclear weapons to others, and is helping Pakistan with its missiles.America has been reduced to relying on China, the DPRK's best friend.War could result in a million casualties in the first day.Kim is winning the contest so far - if he prevails, a quick erosion of American power will probably result.
Far beyond ongoing nuclear crisis
Gordon G. Chang's "Nuclear Showdown", like his previous book ("The Coming Collapse of China"), allows you many different ways of reading it. Some might read it as an intriguing prescription to resolve the ongoing nuclear standoff among the member nations in the six-way framework, just to say that will, or won't, work when they are through with the 225-page book.
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Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Arms Control And Disarmament    3. History - Military / War    4. International Relations (Specific Aspects)    5. International Relations - Arms Control    6. International Relations - Diplomacy    7. Korea (North)    8. Military - Nuclear Warfare    9. Nuclear nonproliferation    10. Nuclear weapons    11. Political Science    12. Politics/International Relations    13. World politics    14. Current Events / Political   

Reviews (40)

Will make you fume
The French connection: How France was arming Iraq all the way up until we went to war. They have also helped other rogue states with "dual use equipment".And of course "Oil for Food".
Useful but Hypocritcal

Important Information to Prepare Us For the Future.
It's no secret that the United States aided Iraq during their war with Iran in the '80s in retaliation for the hostage situation in which Americans were held for 444 days in 1979, and the major need of oil facilities located in Iran.In the twelve years between the Persian Gulf War (called Desert Storm) and the 2003 Iraq war, Saddam Hussein flouted United Nations sanctions to show that his regime would not be held accountable to any international standard of behavior.The United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq in 1991."Many anti-American critics have accused the United States of building up Saddam's military in the 1980s, meaning that American forces went up against U.S. weapons technology in the 1991 Persian Gulf War."However, the Iraqi arsenal was mostly equipped with Russian, French, and Chinese weapons.
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Subjects:  1. 1995-2005    2. 21st century    3. General    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. History    6. Illegal arms transfers    7. International Relations - Arms Control    8. National security    9. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    10. Political Science    11. Politics - Current Events    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Politics/International Relations    14. United States    15. World politics    16. Current Events / International   

Subjects:  1. Arms control    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. History    5. International Relations - Arms Control    6. Presidents & Heads of State    7. Sociology    8. United States    9. Arms negotiation & control    10. Biography: general    11. Political leaders & leadership    12. USA