The British Nuclear Experience

Andrew Futter, H-Diplo Anyone wishing to understand the United Kingdom's seven-decades-old relationship with nuclear weapons...should start with this excellent new book by leading British scholars John Baylis and Kristan Stoddart. The British Nuclear Experience provides a fascinating and highly accessible narrative of the somewhat peculiar story of both the day-to-day dynamics and the broader evolution of nuclear thinking and policy in the United Kingdom.

Andrew Dorman, Kings College London, Conflict, security and defence Baylis and Stoddart, in their jointly authored book, provide a much needed update to Lawrence Freedmans classic Britain and nuclear weapons (Macmillan, 1980), filling in the most recent 35 years.

Prof D.B.G Heuser, Department of Politics & IR, University of Reading Meticulously reconstructed from once top secret documents, this is a brilliantly analysed case-study of strategic culture, decision-making processes and bureaucratic politics. It should be on every IR or Public Policy reading list!

Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, FBA, Professor of War Studies, Kings College London Britain was one of the founders of the nuclear club and is still an active member. John Baylis and Kristan Stoddart provide a unique and comprehensive history of why and how the country retained its nuclear status, drawing attention to the importance of a "deterrence habit of mind".

Professor Lord Peter Hennessy FBA, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, Queen Mary, University of London Nuclear weapons policy-making runs like an irradiated thread throughout the history of Britain since 1940. There are no more skilful unearthers of that thread than John Baylis and Kristan Stoddart.

Prof D.B.G Heuser, Department of Politics & IR, University of Reading Meticulously reconstructed from once top secret documents, this is a brilliantly analysed case-study of strategic culture, decision-making processes and bureaucratic politics. It should be on every IR or Public Policy reading list!

John Baylis is Emeritus Professor at Swansea University, where he is also a Pro-Vice Chancellor. During the course of a distinguished career he has published a number of influential volumes, including Ambiguity and Deterrence: British Nuclear Strategy 1945-196 , Alternative Nuclear Futures: The Role of Nuclear Weapons in the Post-Cold-War Era (edited with R O'Neill), The Globalization of World Politics (edited with S Smith and P Owens, fifth edition) and Strategy in the Contemporary World (edited with J Wirtz and C Gray, fourth edition).

Introduction ; 1. The Emergence of a Deterrence 'Habit of Mind' ; 2. The Chiefs of Staff, Nuclear Weapons and Global Strategy ; 3. From Atomic Weapons to Hydrogen Weapons ; 4. Forging the 'Special' Anglo-American Nuclear Relationship ; 5. Polaris, Independence and Interdependence ; 6. The Polaris Improvement Programme and Chevaline ; 7. The Polaris Replacement Debate under Labour ; 8. The Adoption of Trident ; 9. NATO Modernization Plans, SDI and the End of the Cold War ; 10. Trident Replacement/Renewal: From 'New Labour New' to the Coalition Government ; Conclusion