Nuclear deterrence & dilemmas

The book acts as a sequel-of-sorts to Mr Kaplan's first book, Wizards of Armageddon, which outlined the intellectual history behind nuclear strategy.

The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War

Author: Fred Kaplan 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Price: Rs 799
 

The concept of nuclear deterrence sounds easy on paper. It was succinctly described by Dr Strangelove, anti-hero of the 1964 Hollywood dark-comedy film Dr. Strangelove  as, “...deterrence is the art of producing in the mind of the enemy... the fear to attack.” The premise of deterrence is that the destruction caused by nuclear weapons is so enormous that threatening to use it against an adversary will dissuade that country from attacking.

But the business of deterring an adversary, however, isn’t that simple