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The arms race
242 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1983
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March 16, 2020
It's kind of amazing to think how much the world has changed since it was written almost 40 years ago. The Soviet Union at the time appeared as a menacing colossus that was spreading its influence all over the world, and the Reagan administration had embarked upon a $1.5 trillion military build up and had just announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) with the idea of shooting down Soviet ICBM's before they could hit North America, should it come to war (At least I hope he was planning on including Canada in this!). At the time, nobody could have foreseen the collapse of the USSR that would come only 8 years later.
From this perspective, The Arms Race is a very interesting historical document, opening a window into a very different, bygone era where the world was divided into East, West and the Third World, where each side was moving its pawns to try to gain an upper hand. It also contains a great deal of detail about the military development and forces the US and USSR had been deploying from the end of WW2 up to the point of publication, and a good analysis of why each side had adopted their respective doctrines and pursued weapons development in the way that they had.
However, Sheehan's analysis of how and why nations pursue military power, which he describes as rooted in psychology, is still very pertinent today and makes this book an important read for anybody studying military theory. Although the cold war is history, the perception of military power still plays a key role in defining relationships between nations and shaping diplomatic discourse.
I'm glad I read this and heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the Cold War or Military theory.
4.5/5 Stars
From this perspective, The Arms Race is a very interesting historical document, opening a window into a very different, bygone era where the world was divided into East, West and the Third World, where each side was moving its pawns to try to gain an upper hand. It also contains a great deal of detail about the military development and forces the US and USSR had been deploying from the end of WW2 up to the point of publication, and a good analysis of why each side had adopted their respective doctrines and pursued weapons development in the way that they had.
However, Sheehan's analysis of how and why nations pursue military power, which he describes as rooted in psychology, is still very pertinent today and makes this book an important read for anybody studying military theory. Although the cold war is history, the perception of military power still plays a key role in defining relationships between nations and shaping diplomatic discourse.
I'm glad I read this and heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the Cold War or Military theory.
4.5/5 Stars
Displaying 1 of 1 review