The Effects of Nuclear Weapons

Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1977. Third Edition [stated]. Presumed first printing thus. Hardcover. Very good. [10], 653 pages. Inscribed by Samuel Glasstone on the fep, "in memory of Bob--and in appreciation of the willing help he always gave me. Samuel Glasstone April 1978. Illustrations. Footnotes. Figures. Charts. Tables. Glossary. Index. The Effects Computer is PRESENT. Samuel Glasstone (May 3, 1897 - Nov. 16, 1986) authored over 40 textbooks on physical chemistry, reaction rates, nuclear weapons effects, nuclear reactor engineering, Mars, space sciences, the environmental effects of nuclear energy and nuclear testing. One reviewer describes Glasstone as "perhaps one of the best technical writers of the last century." Samuel Glasstone was born on May 3, 1897. He received two doctorates (Ph.D. and D.Sc.), in chemistry at London University. Glasstone discovered the C-H···O interaction in 1937. Perhaps his best-known book, co-authored with Philip J. Dolan, was The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, which came out in three editions between 1950 and 1977 (originally titled The Effects of Atomic Weapons). The book, published by the US government, is considered one of the most authoritative texts on the effects of nuclear explosions. One of his other popular books was The Sourcebook on Atomic Energy, published in 1950, and translated in many countries. The purpose of this book is to describe the different forms in which the energy of a nuclear explosion are released, to explain how they are propagated, and to show how they may affect people (and other living organisms) and materials. When 'The Effects of Atomic Weapons' was published in 1950, the explosive energy yields of the fission bombs available at that time were equivalent to some thousands of tons (i.e., kilotons) of TNT. With the development of thermonuclear (fusion) weapons, having energy yields in the range of millions of tons (i.e., megatons) of TNT, a new presentation, entitled 'The Effects of Nuclear Weapons,' was issued in 1957. A completely revised edition was published in 1962 and this was reprinted with a few changes early in 1964. In addition, laboratory studies, theoretical calculations, and computer simulations have provided a better understanding of the various effects. Within the limits imposed by security requirements, the new information has been incorporated in the present edition. In particular, attention may be called to a new chapter on the electromagnetic pulse. The material is arranged in a manner that should permit the general reader to obtain a good understanding of the various topics without having to cope with the more technical details. Most chapters are thus in two parts: the first part is written at a fairly low technical level whereas the second treats some of the more technical and mathematical aspects. The presentation allows the reader to omit any or all of the latter sections without loss of continuity.