The Limits of Safety Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons / Scott D. Sagan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sagan, Scott Douglas.

Series:

Princeton studies in international history and politics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nuclear weapons--Safety measures.

Nuclear weapons--Accidents.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 286 pages) : illustrations, maps

Edition:

4. print., 1st pbk. ed.

Manufacture:

Baltimore, Md. : Project MUSE, 2021

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 1995.

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Environmental tragedies such as Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez remind us that catastrophic accidents are always possible in a world full of hazardous technologies. Yet, the apparently excellent safety record with nuclear weapons has led scholars, policy-makers, and the public alike to believe that nuclear arsenals can serve as a secure deterrent for the foreseeable future. In this provocative book, Scott Sagan challenges such optimism. Sagan's research into formerly classified archives penetrates the veil of safety that has surrounded U.S. nuclear weapons and reveals a hidden history of frightening "close calls" to disaster.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments

Acronyms

Introduction. Expecting the Unexpected

Chapter 1. The Origins of Accidents

Chapter 2. Nuclear Weapons Safety during the Cuban Missile Crisis

Chapter 3. Intelligence and Warning during the Cuban Missile Crisis

Chapter 4. Redundancy and Reliability: The 1968 Thule Bomber Accident

Chapter 5. Learning by Trial and Terror

Chapter 6. The Limits of Safety

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691032214

0691032211

9780691213064

0691213062

OCLC:

1227051552