Five Myths about Nuclear Weapons Paperback - 2014

Nuclear war would be an apocalypse. Nuclear deterrence is effective in a crisis. Nuclear weapons shock and awe opponents. Killing civilians causes leaders to back down. The bomb has kept the peace for sixty-five years. These are the things we think we know about nuclear weapons, but it turns out they are myths, myths that nonetheless still shape our nuclear policy.

In Five Myths About Nuclear Weapons, Ward Wilson blows the lid off the stale debate surrounding nuclear weapons, stripping away emotion and exaggeration. By drawing on new facts and historical research, Wilson methodically shatters each of these myths in turn. Five Myths About Nuclear Weapons will surprise you, enlighten you, and spur debates about whether nuclear weapons have any power and importance in the twenty-first century.

Five Myths About Nuclear Weapons is accessible, short and breathless. It has the tone of a TED talk: an avid speaker bursting with one big idea and eighteen minutes to hold your attention. New York Times
Nuclear war would be an apocalypse. Nuclear deterrence is effective in a crisis. Nuclear weapons shock and awe opponents. Killing civilians causes leaders to back down. The bomb has kept the peace for sixty-five years. These are the things we think we know about nuclear weapons, but it turns out they are myths, myths that nonetheless still shape our nuclear policy.
In Five Myths About Nuclear Weapons, Ward Wilson blows the lid off the stale debate surrounding nuclear weapons, stripping away emotion and exaggeration. By drawing on new facts and historical research, Wilson methodically shatters each of these myths in turn. His conclusions will surprise you, enlighten you, and spur debates about whether nuclear weapons have any power and importance in the twenty-first century.
Nine nations now possess nuclear weapons and a tenth seems intent on acquiring them. These states and their governments pose an existential threat to all humanity. Ward Wilson s brilliant deconstruction of the myths which cause states to pursue nukes and cling to their arsenals is an important step toward a saner world free of nuclear dangers. Barry Blechman, cofounder/distinguished fellow, The Stimson Center
[A] thought-provoking breakdown of the reasons behind the development and spread of nuclear weapons . . . Even diehard Mutually Assured Destruction theorists will gain a deeper understanding of the history surrounding nuclear weapons, and most readers will begin to doubt the quasi-magical qualities often attributed to atom bombs. Reason Magazine

[AU PHOTO] Ward Wilson is a senior fellow at the British American Security Information Council (BASIC). He has spoken before governments, the United Nations, and at think tanks and universities, including Stanford, Princeton, Georgetown, and the Naval War College.
Visit www.rethinkingnuclearweapons.org

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