Planning Armageddon: Britain, the United States and the Command of Western Nuclear Forces, 1945-1964 (Studies in the History of Science, Technology & Medicine) Book

The procedures and plans governing the use of British nuclear weapons are fundamental to our understanding of British defense policy. They are among the most closely guarded secrets of the British government. Throughout the Cold War, questions relating to when, where and how British nuclear weapons would ever be used have remained hidden from public scrutiny. In addressing these questions, Planning Armageddon provides the first detailed account of Britain's Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence infrastructure.A central theme of the book is the British-American atomic relationship and its implications for NATO strategy. Based on the recollections of officials and military officers in both Britain and the United States, and employing recently declassified government documents, Planning Armageddon presents a systematic analysis of British involvement in nuclear planning from Hiroshima to the development of Polaris. At the same time, it provides an important examination ofRead More