Product Description

"I know of no more incisive, detailed assessment of the growing threat of mass destruction terrorism than America's Achilles' Heel. This outstanding book is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in American national security." -- U.S. Senator Richard Lugar

Nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons delivered covertly by terrorists or hostile governments pose a significant and growing threat to the United States and other countries. Although the threat of NBC attack is widely recognized as a central national security issue, most analysts have assumed that the primary danger is military use by states in war, with traditional military means of delivery. The threat of covert attack has been imprudently neglected.

Covert attack is hard to deter or prevent, and NBC weapons suitable for covert attack are available to a growing range of states and groups hostile to the United States. At the same time, constraints on their use appear to be eroding. This volume analyzes the nature and limits of the covert NBC threat and proposes a measured set of policy responses, focused on improving intelligence and consequence-management capabilities to reduce U.S. vulnerability.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314669 in Books
• Published on: 1998-06-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 354 pages

Review
"[The authors of this book] have produced a small book both reassuring and terrifying at the same time... But in a world of increasing complexity and hype, Mr. Falkenrath, Mr. Newman and Mr. Bradley demonstrate that cooler heads may quietly gain ascendancy by sustained effort, attention to detail and the patient application of multiple simultaneous and sustained deterrent measures." -- Jody Robinson, The Washington Times, 1999

"I know of no more incisive, detailed assessment of the growing threat of mass destruction terrorism than America's Achilles' Heel. This outstanding book is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in American national security."
—U.S. Senator Richard Lugar

About the Author
Richard A. Falkenrath is Executive Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (BCSIA) at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Robert D. Newman is an arms control specialist in Washington, DC. Bradley A. Thayer is Visiting Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College. From 1995 to 1997, Newman and Thayer were Research Fellows at BCSIA.

Customer Reviews

The Complete Guide to Understanding Bioterrorism
I picked up this book as a research tool for a paper. Not only did I find the book to contain everything I needed, I became so enveloped in the reality of what I was reading that I couldn't put it down. A fan of Tom Clancy novels, this book describes the harsh reality that we live in, while detailing both the strengths and the weaknesses of the US response to bioterrorism. A must read for those with an interest in national security issues.

Systematic, thorough, detailed, very solid...
In a very good way, I got more than I bargained for by reading this book. While seeking a solid source to inform myself on the "nuts and bolts", policy implications, and development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), I continued to come across this title. Expect some dense and intense reading; there is not a wasted word here. The book focuses exclusively on the covert delivery of a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon against an American target, exploring possible methods, limitations, locales, preventive measures, and consequences. This book will considerably broaden the knowledge of any first-timer looking into WMD and likely provides substantive material for discussion among policy makers and experts in the field.

Comprehensive, realistic approach
This is a comprehensive analysis of the threat without being alarmist.

It is far too easy to find shocking explanations of the biological weapons potential that do not describe some of the difficulties in their procurement and delivery. This "sexy" approach captures our attention and makes for good entertainment, but the `Chicken Little' approach doesn't help us develop rational methods for dealing with the issue.

Read this book if you want a levelheaded examination. It also contains a good description and solid recommendations for a national strategy.