Nuclear Apartheid - by Shane J Maddock (Paperback)

About the Book

Nuclear Apartheid: The Quest for American Atomic Supremacy from World War II to the Present

Book Synopsis

After World War II, an atomic hierarchy emerged in the noncommunist world. Washington was at the top, followed over time by its NATO allies and then Israel, with the postcolonial world completely shut out. An Indian diplomat called the system "nuclear apartheid."

Drawing on recently declassified sources from U.S. and international archives, Shane Maddock offers the first full-length study of nuclear apartheid, casting a spotlight on an ideological outlook that nurtured atomic inequality and established the United States -- in its own mind -- as the most legitimate nuclear power. Beginning with the discovery of fission in 1939 and ending with George W. Bush's nuclear policy and his preoccupation with the "axis of evil," Maddock uncovers the deeply ideological underpinnings of U.S. nuclear policy -- an ideology based on American exceptionalism, irrational faith in the power of technology, and racial and gender stereotypes. The unintended result of the nuclear exclusion of nations such as North Korea, Pakistan, and Iran is, increasingly, rebellion.

Here is an illuminating look at how an American nuclear policy based on misguided ideological beliefs has unintentionally paved the way for an international "wild west" of nuclear development, dramatically undercutting the goal of nuclear containment and diminishing U.S. influence in the world.

Review Quotes

"A book that deserves a high place in the literature on the history of the nuclear arms race. . . . Highly recommended." -- CHOICE

"A compelling narrative. . . . Maddock's writing is generally lively, and he employs his subjects' own candid words to good and occasionally humorous effect." -- Journal of Military History

"A detailed and thoughtful study." -- Diplomacy & Statecraft

"A stirring and important book, diligently within the best traditions of diplomatic history. . . . Maddock has a clear mastery of his sources, both primary and secondary." -- Andrew Johnston, Carleton University, H-Diplo Roundtable

"A valuable addition to the literature of nuclear weapons. . . . Maddock has opened a rich seam here and it will take decades to mine it exhaustively." -- International History Review

"A very engaging and dynamic history. . . . Provides keen insights into the national security policies of the United States in the first three decades of the Cold War. . . . The book deserves to be read by diplomatic, Cold War, and policy historians." -- Sean Kalic, US Army Command and General Staff College, H-Diplo Roundtable

"Engaging, interesting, and witty. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in the early history o non-proliferation efforts." -- Tom Nichols, Naval War College and International Security Program, JFK School of Government, Harvard Univeristy, H-Diplo Roundtable

"Excellent....Nuclear Apartheid offers the best scholarly account of the diplomacy of nuclear weapons 1945-1968." -- Journal of American History

"Intriguing. . . . A powerful and comprehensive book that examines nuclear policy in abundant detail. [Maddock] sustains a compelling argument from beginning to end." -- Left History

"Maddock's extensive and effective use of individual document collections and oral histories is commendable." -- Cold War History