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Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe | 
| Author: Graham Allison
Publisher: Times Books
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 345250
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0805076514
Dewey Decimal Number: 363.32
EAN: 9780805076516
ASIN: 0805076514
Publication Date: August 9, 2004
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Product Description
A leading strategist opens our eyes to the greatest terrorist threat of all-and how to prevent it before it's too late
Americans in the twenty-first century are keenly aware of the many forms of terrorism: hijackings, biological attacks, chemical weapons. But rarely do we allow ourselves to face squarely the deadliest form of terrorism, because it is almost too scary to think about-a terrorist group exploding a nuclear device in an American city.
In this urgent call to action, Graham Allison, one of America's leading experts on nuclear weapons and national security, presents the evidence for two provocative, compelling conclusions. First, if policy makers in Washington keep doing what they are currently doing about the threat, a nuclear terrorist attack on America is likely to occur in the next decade. And if one lengthens the time frame, a nuclear strike is inevitable. Second, the surprising and largely unrecognized good news is that nuclear terrorism is, in fact, preventable. In these pages, Allison offers an ambitious but feasible blueprint for eliminating the possibility of nuclear terrorist attacks.
The United States once relied on the threat of mutually assured destruction to deter the Soviet Union from launching a nuclear strike. But in today's fragmented world, a new strategy is needed, especially with nuclear material vulnerable to theft or sale through black-market channels.
The choice is ours: to grab this beast by the horns or to be impaled on those horns. We do not have the luxury of hoping the problem will go away, and Allison shows why.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
 Well Written and Cogent Analysis June 6, 2008
One of the best books on the subject. Without a lot of hype and drama, the author captures the danges from this threat. Of particular interest are his recommendations to the US Government on changes that should be implemented if we are to avoid this looming threat. Most authors lack the experience and perspective needed to formulate a recommended path forward.
 A must read! May 8, 2008
We were surprised by 9/11 even though we should not have been. Let's not be surprised by a nuclear version that wipes an American (or Russian, or Israeli) city off the map -- and possibly creates a crisis that sparks complete destruction of our civilization, just as the assassination of the Archduke in Sarajevo in 1914 set off World War I.
Graham Allison knows his stuff and makes a strong argument for action to avert such a disaster. THIS IS A MUST READ!! If you are already in touch with the urgency of the situation and need a quick shot of hope, jump ahead to chapters 7 and 8 where Allison outlines what we need to do, and then go back and read the early parts.
Powerfully written and sobering October 26, 2007
I always approach books like this with skepticism: What's the author's agenda? Of course, everyone has an agenda, everyone leans left or right to some extent, but Graham Allison seems to have found a balance so many before him haven't. He presents a solid argument (that a nuclear attack on the U.S. by a terrorist organization is preventable, but probably, in the way of the way of the world, inevitable) with solid evidence. I didn't get the sense that he's pointing his finger at one political party or one group. More that people in our government, in general, need to wake up to certain facts about who can get nuclear devices and how they would use them. I think his "solution" is pie-in-the-sky stuff, but better to have an alternative to the status quo when you write a book like this, than nothing. A frightening read.
Sobering and Encouraging September 13, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Graham Allison's book is at once sobering and encouraging. The revelations about the A.Q. Khan nuclear "marketplace" in Pakistan is chilling and gives reason for profound concern. I appreciate his ability to take a rather complex and aecane subject and make it accessible to lay readers. For thirty years I have studied and worked on nuclear issues knowing that nations had it in their interests not to engage in nuclear war because the costs were no less than possible annihilation! Now, subnational groups are very close to acquiring the ultimate weapon, and there is a substantial risk that an atomic bomb could be detonated in an America city.
As terrifying as such a possibility is, it does not have to happen! We are not powerless to stop it! Dr. Graham makes it clear that cutting off access to HEU and P239 is possible. He insists that the U.S. and international community take the necessary steps to safegaurd weapons grade fissile materials. As a citizen I appreciate the important work Dr. Graham and others are doing to prevent nuclear weapons falling into the hands of irresponsible people and groups. This is a must read book!
Should Be Mandatory Reading May 8, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Even with what I believe are some flaws this is a great book that deserves to be read. The subject is so critical to our future that our citizens should read several. If only one is to be read then as others have commented, The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism is probably the better choice.
The book's description of the foundation of the threat is great. However, from that point forward I have problems with some of the solutions. There is a presumption that other nations want to prevent nuclear terrorism against the US and that there is unity in action. Certainly that is not the case in the world as there are a number of nations who would quietly applaud a nuclear attack on the US. There's also the issue that has plagued people for the ages - people, cities, states and nations acting in what they believe are their self interests in the hope that others will be sacrificed but that they will escape.
From Chamberlin's dealings with Hitler to the recent massacre at Virginia Tech people have shunned the struggle on the assumption that others would die but not them. Terrorists have been masters at dividing those nations who may oppose them. They learned the 2,000 year old lessons of Sun Tzu. One bombing in Spain changed the election outcome and their policy on confronting terrorism. Our blueprint for the struggle should not assume that a large majority of other nations will join us.
At the end of the chapter on managing the threat the author comments," The time has come for us to confront the fact that no one is going to save us from nuclear terrorism but ourselves. The choice is ours to grab this beast by the horns, or to be impaled on its horns. We do not have the luxury of hoping this beast will simply go away."
How do we accomplish the task. Well, suppose we assigned the task to John Wooden or another legendary coach. Their primary tasks would be setting goals, creating and nurturing a cultural foundation for success , developing a strategy, finding the right players and then assuring them the resources they need. Sadly our legislative bodies have left their role of setting policy and delivering resources to micro-manage the war on terror. The press is looking for thirty second sound bytes and the public wants the news to be over so they can see the latest Paris Hilton video.
Allison speaks of a strategy as having an assurance of success. However, there's no such assurance in today's world and as much as we may want to believe we must realize that the outcome very much hangs in the balance. Winning this struggle will not be the result of a blueprint but rather an evolving, complex series of actions, some of which raise moral conflicts. By its nature the struggle needs the protection of security. We have already seen a number of successful intelligence operations compromised by leaks. Allison's vision of a nice clean, pretty strategy which gets nods on the cocktail circuit is not what's going to reduce the probability that millions of Americans will die.
In conclusion, a good read but simplistic solutions.
For the public the action they need to take is to put the right people in office and to keep them focused on this priority.
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