Strategic Defense in the Nuclear Age—A Reference Handbook

When Ronald Reagan introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in 1983, he boldly challenged the long-accepted nuclear doctrine of "mutual assured destruction." He argued that the development of this costly and complex missile defense system, popularly known as "Star Wars," was the only viable and real alternative to the ongoing proliferation of nuclear weapons. While Reagan's vision unwittingly accelerated the end of the Cold War, SDI soon became a program shrouded in controversy. Costs soared and researchers struggled to develop the essential and successful technologies, although the threat of an atomic exchange with the former Soviet Union no longer loomed on the horizon. Despite those factors, SDI has survived. It remains in the active stages of development more than two decades after it was introduced, even as American policy makers struggle to counter the emerging threat posed by "rogue states" engaged in the active pursuit and development of atomic weapons. Devoid of any political agenda, Strategic Defense in the Nuclear Age presents a concise overview of the history of SDI, chronicling its successes and failures through the ongoing evolution of the program. It is the most up-to-date account on the market today.

Sanford Lakoff is Professor of Political Science at the University of California, San Diego. He is co-author ofA Shield in Space: Technology, Politics, and the Strategic Defense Initiative (1989) and has written or edited numerous other books and articles on the relationship between science and government and the history of political thought.