Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe

Allison's comprehensive but accessible treatment of this vital subject is a major contribution to public understanding. -The New York Times Book Review

Americans in the twenty-first century are keenly aware of the many forms of terrorism: hijackings, biological attacks, chemical weapons. But the deadliest form is almost too scary to think about-a terrorist group exploding a nuclear device in an American city.

In this urgent call to action, Graham Allison, one of America's leading experts on nuclear weapons and national security, presents the evidence for two provocative, compelling conclusions. First, if policy makers in Washington keep doing what they are currently doing about the threat, a nuclear terrorist attack on America is inevitable. Second, the surprising and largely unrecognized good news is that nuclear terrorism is, in fact, preventable. In these pages, Allison offers an ambitious but feasible blueprint for eliminating the possibility of nuclear terrorist attacks, if we are willing to face the issue squarely.

Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
Published: 09/05/2000
Pages: 288
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780805078527


Review Citation(s):
Ingram Advance 08/01/2005 pg. 71
New York Times 09/25/2005 pg. 36
Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2007 pg. 173

About the Author

Graham Allison, founding dean of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government. He served as assistant secretary of defense for policy and plans and is the author of Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis. He lives in Belmont, Massachusetts.