Product Description
The atomic bomb ended the war against Japan in 1945 and became the centerpiece of U.S. and Soviet military strategy for the next 45 years. In the late 1940s the debate over whether the atomic bomb was the ultimate arbitrator of international differences led to the infamous carrier-versus-B-36 controversy in American defense policy; American school children in the 1950s practiced air raid drills as many feared an atomic attack against American cities; and billions were spent to develop and procure vast fleets of B-36, B-47, and B-52 nuclear bombers, that led to a still-alive legacy that is seen in the current B-1 and the B-2 stealth bomber controversies. In this comprehensive work, two leading weapons experts present a complete and fully up-to-date history of the development of U.S. nuclear weapons and detailed descriptions of the entire American nuclear arsenal, including the variety of systems capable of delivering them. Illustrated with more than 100 b/w photographs and 20 charts, the authors describe all of the nuclear weapons used in formulating American defense policies, including the U.S. Army's development of the 280-mm atomic cannon, atomic demolitions, and the atomic grenade launcher, along with the U.S. Navy's development of a carrier-based nuclear strike capability. Details are provided about the Navy's ASTOR nuclear torpedo, the 16-inch nuclear projectiles for the Iowa-class battleships, and even the Navy s drone helicopter designed to carry a nuclear depth charge. In addition, they discuss the nuclear missiles and rockets carried by the air-defense fighters within the United States and the nuclear-armed surface-to-air missiles ringing major U.S. cities and military bases. This new work is certain to be considered the definitive study of the subject.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 3.0 based on 5 reviews)

Misprint by Daniel Waltimire

2 Stars
September 17, 2009
My copy has page missing, and I am sure it is not the only one!

A comprehensive but not overly deep reference by Terry Sunday (El Paso, Texas United States)

4 Stars
September 15, 2009
When I first opened "The U.S. Nuclear Arsenal," by Norman Polmar and Robert S. Norris, I had a strong sense of déjà vu (all over again). A quick search through my library turned up James Norris Gibson's "The History of the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal," which was published in 1989. At first glance, the two books seem almost the same. Both are similar in size, shape and layout, and both are similarly organized by the general types of nuclear weapon delivery systems--strategic missiles, tactical missiles, strategic aircraft, tactical aircraft, submarine-launched missiles, etc. Gibson's book features many color photos, while Polmar and Norris's is all in black-and-white. Gibson's photos are also generally larger. Page counts are 192 for Gibson and 275 for Polmar and Norris. All in all, we're talking two very similar books on the same subject separated by a time span of 20 years. How do they differ? First, Polmar and Norris include a far better, 35-page introduction that summarizes the history of nuclear weapons from before the Manhattan Project to after the Cold War ended. Gibson's introduction is a scant paragraph. The new book also has a detailed nine-page index, compared to Gibson's cursory, essentially useless one-pager that doesn't even list weapons by their "B," "Mark" or "W" designations. Polmar and Norris also include a good "Recommended Reading" list for those who want to delve further. The new book clearly benefits from additional material declassified during the last 20 years. Let me offer two examples. I compared the treatments of the B-43 and the B-61, two weapons with which I am somewhat familiar. The lengths of the sections on the B-43 are about the same in both books (Gibson runs a bigger picture, almost a half-page), but Polmar and Norris offer a few more details about the weapon's selectable yields and its fuzing and delivery modes. For the B-61, Norris has four short paragraphs plus three photos showing a "laydown landing" test. Polmar and Norris offer much more information in almost a full page (no pictures at all, though) and considerably more about the weapon's design and operational deployment. Although not nearly at the level of detail of Chuck Hansen's out-of-print "U.S. Nuclear Weapons," Polmar and Norris offer a comprehensive, if relatively shallow, treatment of a very broad subject. So is "The U.S. Nuclear Arsenal" a must-have book? Is it worth buying if you already have a copy of "The History of the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal?" The answer is a qualified "Yes." If you're at all interested and don't have Gibson's book, by all means buy this one. It is a good single-volume reference that covers a lot of ground at a level of detail sure to satisfy most readers. On the other hand, if you already own Gibson's book and don't care about the additional details that have come to light in the last 20 years, then there's probably no compelling need for you to pick up Polmar and Norris' work. However, if you're a real techno-geek who can't get enough of this stuff, you'll definitely need both books. They do fit together nicely side-by-side on my bookshelf--right next to Hansen's magnum opus.

A missed opportunity... by Christopher J. Ford (Moraga, California USA)

2 Stars
July 31, 2009
This book is essentially a compendium of data that has already been presented in greater detail by other authors - notably Chuck Hansen's Swords of Armageddon, (And his earlier if dated book US Nuclear Weapons) or is readily accessible on the web or from previous published works. Many of the photographs are tired and have been reproduced many times before. There is little new insight or information here for anyone who has looked into this subject. Neither is there any real context about why various nuclear systems were developed. Above all there is no coverage of US nuclear testing which is a fundamental part of this story. The book does have some value in that it puts all the information about weapons and delivery systems in one place for those unfamiliar with the subject. Also as a reference it is clear in its presentation and is thankfully relatively free of the political bias or moral outrage that bedevils so many books on nuclear history. Given the authors reputations and previous research in this area, I was disappointed in this book and feel that an opportunity was missed. Certainly classification presents huge challenges in any book of this type, but an updated synthesis of post war nuclear weapons and delivery systems development is long overdue. This book is more of a catalogue than a history and it does not deliver as advertised.

Decent, but nothing new by Michael Mcdaniel (California, MD USA)

3 Stars
July 28, 2009
An OK book, but rather disappointing. This book has a complete list of nuclear bombs and warheads, but focuses on the delivery platforms. It also lacks any information on nuclear physics or weapons design. Personally, I'd look very, very hard for a copy of Chuck Hansen's "U.S. Nuclear Weapons", as that book remains the best unclassified reference. I had hoped that this work would be able to challenge Hansen's volume, but it falls short.

Excellent survey book on the US Nuclear Arsenal by J. Rudy (Fairfax, VA)

5 Stars
July 28, 2009
Norman Polmar and Robert Norris state in the dust-jacket that the book "present[s] a complete and fully up-to-date history of the development of U.S. nuclear weapons and detailed descriptions of the entire American nuclear arsenal, including the variety of systems capable of delivering them." Polmar and Norris are each recognized defense analysts who have published numerous books and periodicals on nuclear weapons. These two experts deliver a book is fully successful in meeting these stated goals. The book begins with a look at the evolution of American nuclear weapons development from the only operational uses of nuclear weapons in combat; through the post-Cold War drawdown. It reviews various topics such as Mutual Assured Destruction; the Strategic Triad. Polmar and Norris do a great job covering the essentials of understanding the key milestones in American nuclear policy. With a foundational understanding of the nuclear weapon employment strategy, the reader is now ready to learn about the different types of weapons in the US arsenal. The first section focuses on nuclear warheads - the actual explosive devices capable of leveling cities. The entries for each warhead follow a standard format of a description; the production run; and the operational periods of availability for the weapon. Chapter three focuses on strategic aircraft, which the authors state "Strategic aircraft are generally considered those that can reach an opponent's homeland." Many airpower proponents would modify this to state "are those that can reach more than 250 miles into an opponent's homeland," which would make the entries for the first sub-section focused on carrier-based attack aircraft more applicable for the tactical aircraft section. Airpower debates aside, both chapters follow the familiar format for the entries first introduced in the warhead section. The balance of the book examine the strategic missile delivery systems; tactical missile delivery systems; artillery delivery systems; and anti-submarine weapons. Along with the weapons that were developed, the authors also document weapons that never made it past research and development, such as the Navy's A-12 Avenger. For readers looking for more information, the authors include a 2-page+ bibliography. Many of the entries contain black and white photos of the warhead or delivery system being discussed. This is a great book to introduce the reader to the US nuclear arsenal covering the basic areas of the overall strategy of how the weapons would be used and also what weapons are available.

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