The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg

[BWND]

I recently finished The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner by Daniel Ellsberg. I knew very little about the history of nuclear weapons, proliferation or the history of general (pre-nuclear) 'strategic bombing'. I thought the book was excellent and it was probably one of the most frightening things I've ever read.

I began the book hopelessly uninformed but probably had a significant amount of sympathy for the "needed for deterrence and self-defence" position. I finished the book being for all measures suggested to reduce/eliminate the weapons, even unilaterally. I live in a nuclear power state, but not the US.

What was most surprising of all to me was the extent of delegation of authority in the US (and likely elsewhere). The notion of the President being the man with the only say, agonising over pushing the button as presented to him in the 'football', exists only in film and television.

Has anyone else read this or similar books?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256 ... ay-machine

[jacob]

Would also recommend https://www.amazon.com/Command-Control- ... 143125788/

[basuragomi]

Command and Control is the usual recommendation for nuclear weapons policy. That's the book that iirc brought forward the famous anecdote about British submarines securing their nuclear weapons with nothing but a bike disc lock set to "00000" and the sensibility of a British gentleman/officer.

Edit: @jacob beat me to it!

[BWND]

Cool, thanks for the tip gents.