From Polaris to Trident: The Development of US Fleet Ballistic Missile Technology

by Graham Spinardi

This book provides a historical account of one of the key weapons developments of the nuclear age. By examining the United States Fleet Ballistic Missile program from Polaris in the 1950s to Trident II in the 1990s, Graham Spinardi is able to examine in detail the complex relationship between the advance of technology and the pace of the arms race. Did technology "drive" the arms race or were these weapons simply the product of political decisions? His account, drawing on interviews with many of the key participants, is the most complete currently available.

268 pages, Hardcover

First published January 6, 1994

Reviews

[Yong Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful primer on the history of the U.S. Navy' ballistic missile arsenal. The social science framework and construct, however, is artificial and at best a distraction.