Free Delivery Over $100
|
|
|||
|
||||
OverviewWritten by a leading scholar in the field of nuclear weapons and international relations, this book examines ‘the problem of order’ arising from the existence of weapons of mass destruction. This central problem of international order has its origins in the nineteenth century, when industrialization and the emergence of new sciences, technologies and administrative capabilities greatly expanded states’ abilities to inflict injury, ushering in the era of total war. It became acute in the mid-twentieth century, with the invention of the atomic bomb and the pre-eminent role ascribed to nuclear weapons during the Cold War. It became more complex after the end of the Cold War, as power structures shifted, new insecurities emerged, prior ordering strategies were called into question, and as technologies relevant to weapons of mass destruction became more accessible to non-state actors as well as states. William Walker explores how this problem is conceived by influential actors, how they have tried to fashion solutions in the face of many predicaments, and why those solutions have been deemed effective and ineffective, legitimate and illegitimate, in various times and contexts. Full Product DetailsAuthor: William WalkerPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd Imprint: Routledge Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.40cm Weight: 0.630kg ISBN: 9780415421058ISBN 10: 0415421055 Pages: 256 Publication Date: 14 September 2011 Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Tertiary & Higher Education , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print  This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsReviews'William Walker has done something special, compelling and persuasive. Perpetual Menace combines political science rigor with literary sensibility. The book is much more than another history of the nuclear era. Rather it is an innovative search for the impact of nuclear capabilities on global political stability. The result is not just original and enlightening, but surprisingly engaging and enjoyable.' Aaron Karp, Old Dominion University 'William Walker has done something special, compelling and persuasive. Perpetual Menace combines political science rigor with literary sensibility. The book is much more than another history of the nuclear era. Rather it is an innovative search for the impact of nuclear capabilities on global political stability. The result is not just original and enlightening, but surprisingly engaging and enjoyable.' Aaron Karp, Old Dominion University, USA 'William Walker has done something special, compelling and persuasive. Perpetual Menace combines political science rigor with literary sensibility. The book is much more than another history of the nuclear era. Rather it is an innovative search for the impact of nuclear capabilities on global political stability. The result is not just original and enlightening, but surprisingly engaging and enjoyable.' - Aaron Karp, Old Dominion University, USA 'William Walker masterfully conceptualizes the ways in which states since 1945 have struggled to order their relations with each other and nuclear weapons. Valuable as history, international relations theory, and contemporary politics, this wise book concludes that the logic of restraint is the most feasible common ground on which all states could build a beneficial nuclear order today.' - George Perkovich, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC 'William Walker's depiction of mankind on a 21st century Ship of Fools, in danger of a nuclear shipwreck and sorely in need of savvy pilot, is frighteningly apt. Although his elegantly written new volume does not point to a single lodestar as a guide to safety, it helps us better appreciate the perilous waters we have traveled and the instruments at our disposal to stay afloat.' -- William Potter, Monterey Institute of International Studies, USA 'Walker is the only author who has really thought through the relationship between nuclear weapons and international order. His book contains a compelling historical narrative as well as a wealth of illuminating conceptual distinctions. It combines a strong and anxious moral concern with a thorough and realistic appraisal of the various possible strategies for dealing with the perpetual menace of nuclear weapons. I cannot think of a more timely and complete work on this crucial subject.' -- Pierre Hassner, Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI), Paris 'This book is a terrific achievement and fills a gap in the literature on international nuclear politics. By expertly weaving his theme of order through the historical, political, and strategic evolution of the contemporary international nuclear order, Walker has produced a book which speaks centrally to the perennial challenge of how to manage the threat to humanity's survival posed by the splitting of the atom. It is written in a highly accessible manner, and yet with a level of sophistication and authority which will lead to scholarly acclaim.' -- Nicholas Wheeler, Aberystwyth University, Wales "'William Walker has done something special, compelling and persuasive. Perpetual Menace combines political science rigor with literary sensibility. The book is much more than another history of the nuclear era. Rather it is an innovative search for the impact of nuclear capabilities on global political stability. The result is not just original and enlightening, but surprisingly engaging and enjoyable.' - Aaron Karp, Old Dominion University, USA 'William Walker masterfully conceptualizes the ways in which states since 1945 have struggled to order their relations with each other and nuclear weapons. Valuable as history, international relations theory, and contemporary politics, this wise book concludes that the ""logic of restraint"" is the most feasible common ground on which all states could build a beneficial nuclear order today.' - George Perkovich, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC 'William Walker's depiction of mankind on a 21st century ""Ship of Fools,"" in danger of a nuclear shipwreck and sorely in need of savvy pilot, is frighteningly apt. Although his elegantly written new volume does not point to a single lodestar as a guide to safety, it helps us better appreciate the perilous waters we have traveled and the instruments at our disposal to stay afloat.' -- William Potter, Monterey Institute of International Studies, USA 'Walker is the only author who has really thought through the relationship between nuclear weapons and international order. His book contains a compelling historical narrative as well as a wealth of illuminating conceptual distinctions. It combines a strong and anxious moral concern with a thorough and realistic appraisal of the various possible strategies for dealing with the ""perpetual menace"" of nuclear weapons. I cannot think of a more timely and complete work on this crucial subject.' -- Pierre Hassner, Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI), Paris 'This book is a terrific achievement and fills a gap in the literature on international nuclear politics. By expertly weaving his theme of order through the historical, political, and strategic evolution of the contemporary international nuclear order, Walker has produced a book which speaks centrally to the perennial challenge of how to manage the threat to humanity's survival posed by the splitting of the atom. It is written in a highly accessible manner, and yet with a level of sophistication and authority which will lead to scholarly acclaim.' -- Nicholas Wheeler, Aberystwyth University, Wales" Author InformationWilliam Walker is Professor of International Relations at the University of St Andrews. His research interests include nuclear politics and the governance of technology. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
||||
