Seeking the Bomb: Strategies of Nuclear Proliferation

Seeking the Bomb is the first book to analyze the strategies that states use to pursue nuclear weapons, offering an original typology of proliferation strategies: hedging, sprinting, sheltered pursuit, and hiding. It explores the implications of these strategies for nuclear proliferation and international security, highlighting the risks and challenges associated with each approach.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 11 January 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

The first comprehensive examination of the diverse strategies employed by nations in their pursuit of nuclear weapons has been conducted. While much research has focused on the motivations behind states' pursuit of nuclear weapons, the question of how these states pursue them has received relatively little attention. Seeking the Bomb is a groundbreaking book that delves into this critical topic by exploring the various strategies available to aspiring nuclear states, the factors that influence their selection of a particular strategy, and its implications for international politics.

The author, Vipin Narang, examines a diverse range of nations, including India, Japan, the Soviet Union, North Korea, Iraq, and Iran, to develop an innovative typology of proliferation strategies. These strategies include hedging, sprinting, sheltered pursuit, and hiding. Each strategy offers distinct opportunities for the development of nuclear weapons, as well as unique vulnerabilities that can be exploited to prevent states from acquiring them.

Narang delves into the profound implications of these proliferation strategies for nuclear proliferation and international security. Hiders, for instance, pose a particularly disruptive threat as they can either successfully acquire nuclear weapons, significantly altering the global power structure, or be discovered, potentially leading to severe crises or even war. As the international community faces the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons by the next generation of states, Seeking the Bomb examines how global conflict and stability are shaped by the pragmatic choices made by states in their pursuit of proliferation.

The book offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of nuclear proliferation and international relations. It sheds light on the factors that drive states to pursue nuclear weapons, the strategies they employ, and the consequences of their choices. By examining the case studies of various nations, Narang provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with nuclear proliferation.

Seeking the Bomb is a must-read for policymakers, scholars, and anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of nuclear proliferation and international security. It offers a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate on nuclear disarmament, arms control, and global peace and stability.

Weight: 646g
Dimension: 157 x 234 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691172620