On Wednesday, 18 February 2009, IISS Consulting Fellow Sir Michael Quinlan launched his latest book, Thinking about Nuclear Weapons: Principles, Problems, Prospects. Sir Michalel's remarks were delivered by Peter Hennessy, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, Queen Mary, University of London.
Afterwards Professor Sir Michael Howard, President-Emeritus, IISS and Mary Kaldor, Professor of Global Governance, LSE particpated in a panel discussion.
Watch: The remarks and the discussion are available to view
The book reflects Sir Michael’s experience across more than 40 years in assessing and forming policy about nuclear weapons, mostly at senior levels close to the centre both of the British governmental decision-making and of NATO’s development of plans and deployments, with much interaction also with comparable levels of United States activity in the Pentagon and the State Department. Part I of the book seeks to distil, from this exceptional background of practical experience, basic conceptual ways of understanding the revolution brought about by nuclear weapons. It also surveys NATO’s progressive development of thinking about nuclear deterrence, and then discusses the deep moral dilemmas posed --- for all possible standpoints – by the existence of such weapons. Part II considers the risks and costs of nuclear-weapon possession, including proliferation dangers, and looks at both successful and unsuccessful ideas about how to manage them. Part III illustrates specific issues by reviewing the history and current policies of one long-established possessor, the United Kingdom, and two more recent ones, India and Pakistan. Part IV turns to the future, examines the goal of eventually abolishing all nuclear armouries, and then discusses the practical agenda, short of such a goal, which governments can usefully tackle in reducing the risks of proliferation and other dangers while not surrendering prematurely the war-prevention and other dangers while not surrendering prematurely the benefits which nuclear weapons have brought since 1945.
The book is a project of the Oxford Leverhulme Programme on the Changing Character of War.
The press launch will be chaired by Alex Nicoll, IISS Director of Editorial. It will take place in the Lee Kuan Yew Conference Room on the Fifth Floor at Arundel House, 13-15 Arundel Street, Temple Place, London WC2R 3DX.
All guests are requested to take their seats by 12:55. If you are bringing a camera crew, please arrive in advance to set up.
Copies of Thinking about Nuclear Weapons; Principles, Problems, Prospects will be available for press at the launch. Other visitors will have the possibility of buying extra copies at a discounted rate of £20.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP Leah Charpentier on iisscurrentevents@iiss.org or tel: 020 7395 9112.
