"No previous generation of statesmen has had to conduct policy in so unknown an environment at the border line of Armageddon"-Henry Kissinger Nuclear weapons pose a unique challenge to American foreign policy and the American president in particular. The choices the president makes with regard to atomic weapons can change the course of human history and affect the lives of billions of people. In this important new work, scholar, teacher, and diplomat James Goodby analyzes how American presidents have confronted the dilemma of nuclear weapons. Drawing on his own involvement in over fifty years of nuclear policy, he explores specific case studies to illustrate the decision making process and the delicate balance between international cooperation and freedom of action, between the rules of behavior and governmental autonomy.
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Since the time of President Roosevelt, American Presidents have been forced to assume the responsibility of confronting this matter. This book examines the choices each president made in handling the threats posed by nuclear weapons. Spanning the entire nuclear era, it cites specific case studies to illustrate the decision making.
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Part 1 Preface Part 2 Part 1: The Logic of War, 1941-1952 Chapter 3 At the Beginning: Churchill, Roosevelt and Truman Part 4 Part 2: Setting the Rules for the Long Haul, 1953-1968 Chapter 5 Nuclear Deterrence or Preventive War? Eisenhower's Choice Chapter 6 John Kennedy: From Crisis to Triumph to Tragedy Chapter 7 Lyndon Johnson: The Offense-Defense Riddle Part 8 Part III: Facing the Problems of Parity, 1969-1980 Chapter 9 Richard Nixon: Only Connect Chapter 10 Gerald Ford: A Time to Plant Chapter 11 Jimmy Carter: The Limits of Presidential Power Part 12 Part IV: A Break With the Past, 1981-1988 Chapter 13 The Reagan Revolution in Nuclear Weaponry Part 14 Part V: Once More into the Unknown Chapter 15 George H. W. Bush: Managing the Soviet Succession Chapter 16 William J. Clinton: Facing New Threats Chapter 17 George W. Bush: Overthrowing the Old Order Part 18 Afterword
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At last, a well-written, objective account of the evolution of U.S. nuclear weapons policy and efforts at nuclear arms control from the beginning of the nuclear age to the dangerous situation we face today. In At the Borderline of Armageddon, James Goodby examines how each U.S. president since World War II has sought to manage the atomic bomb. . . . I strongly recommend the book to anyone interested in the evolution of U.S. nuclear policy or seeking a challenging text for a college course. Our current president might well profit from this book as he contemplates his legacy. In addition, it should be mandatory reading for any aspirant to the presidency in 2008.
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780742550766
Publisert
2006-05-04
Utgiver
Vendor
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Vekt
358 gr
Høyde
227 mm
Bredde
151 mm
Dybde
18 mm
Aldersnivå
UU, 05
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
224

Forfatter

Biographical note

James E. Goodby is a research affiliate with MIT's Program on Science, Technology, and Society, where he dedicates his research to issues involving nuclear weapons. Goodby has served in a variety of diplomatic and policy positions in both Europe and Washington, placing strong emphasis on international security affairs. Among Goodby's most recent books are The Gravest Danger: Nuclear Weapons, co-authored with Sidney Drell, and A Strategy for Stable Peace, co-authored with Petrus Buwalda and Dmitri Trenin. He is the recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the State Department's Superior and Distinguished Honor Award, and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit from the German government. In 1995, Goodby received the inaugural Heinz Award in Public Policy.