Nuclear Statecraft: History and Strategy in America's Atomic Age (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)

This is one of those rare books which successfully integrates extensive historical research with sharp insights into the policy process. Gavin has written a succinct history of the nuclear age that takes issue with much of the conventional wisdom and has important implications for current nuclear-related questions such as Iran and North Korea. I recommend it enthusiastically.

Thoughtful insights from Dr Francis Gavin about such an intriguing era.

Frank Gavin is a fantastic writer. This insightful book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in nuclear statecraft. 5 Stars!

Francis Gavin brings about a new look to the nuclear age, the Cold War, and what has happened since. He contradicts what theorists have been saying for the past 70 years, and what he says does have stitches of truth but I believe he pulls them out too far.

Gavin has not served in government and seems to know very little about what actually happened in the government -- very few references to government officials, far more to secondary sources who were also not involved in government. I know this because (1) I was intimately involved in the government for 13 years in NATO affairs, mostly on nuclear weapons matters, (2) in a think tank for 23 years watching international affairs closely, and (3) had 13 years of strategic discussions with the Russians, 1991-2004, finding them very level-headed about the horrors of nuclear war. In short, I knew far more than Gavin and he really didn't quite understand it all.

Excellent analytical work from the period of the Cold War. A critical look at this period, which does not always correspond to the well-established assessments. Good work, I enjoyed it. Francis J. Gavin's name is a guarantee of quality.

A refreshing and informative take on an important subject. Dr. Gavin's dedication to nuclear history and the cold war have made me a fan of his writing for years. A must read.