Defending America
the Case for Limited National Missile Defense
Published on 1. May 2001
Book
Hardback
200 pages
978-0-8157-0008-1 (ISBN)
Description
Arms control and missile defense are once again at the forefront of the American national security agenda. Not surprisingly, the debate has broken down along well-worn lines. Arms control advocates dismiss the idea of missile defense as a dangerous and costly folly. Missile defense advocates argue that the U.S. should move aggressively to defend itself against missile attack. With clear and lively prose free of partisan rhetoric, Defending America provides reliable, factual analysis of the missile defense debate. Written for a general audience, it assesses the current and likely future missile threat to the United States, examines relevant technologies, and suggests how America's friends and foes would react to a decision to build a national missile defense. Lindsay and O'Hanlon reject calls for large-scale systems as well as proposals to do nothing, instead arguing for a limited national missile defense.
Reviews / Votes
"Even those readers who have made up their minds should find this book a useful compendium of information and analysis on an old topic." --Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 9/1/2001 "Well argued... The authors convincingly show that the diplomatic costs really do restrict America to a limited missile defense." --Daniel K. Blewett, College of Dupage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL, Library Journal, 9/1/2001 "[The authors] describe the debate over the past fifteen years, explain the concepts and systems involved in missile defense, examine the threat the system is designed to meet, clarify alternative architectures, and spell out the international politics of missile defense." --Mary Carroll, Booklist, 5/15/2001 "A timely analysis of a key policy issue... for anyone interested in gaining an understanding of the technology and policy issues surrounding national missile defense and the possible alternatives, it is a worthwhile read." --Paul James, Commander, U.S. Navy, Proceedings, U.S. Naval Institute, 11/1/2001 "Few current defense topics spark as much controversy as national missile defense (NMD). Lindsay and O'Hanlon cut through the rhetoric of both the left and the right to give us the unadulterated facts about this important issue... This important book provides the most balanced treatment of this difficult topic to date." -- Aerospace Power Journal "The authors provide a sound critique of the standard positions and hyperboles of both advocates and opponents, as well as an accessible primer on the types, advantages, and limitations of various systems and architectures... Provides as good a 'few years out' unclassified guide as you're likely to find. And that, given the customary histrionics of the NMD debate, is no small accomplishment." --Philip Gold, Discovery Institute, Seattle, WA, Washington Times, 7/8/2001 "Lindsay and O'Hanlon cut through the rhetoric of both the left and the right to give us the unadulterated facts about this important issue... This important book provides the most balanced treatment of this difficult topic to date." -- Aerospace Power Journal, v. 15, no. 4, 1/1/2001 "The Brookings Institution Press continues its reputation for excellence with the publication of a number of recent works examining US defense strategy and the American security agenda... (discusses 'Defending America' and 'Defense Policy Choices for the Bush Admin. 2001-2005')." --Robert H. Taylor, Parameters, U.S. Army War College Quarterly, 7/1/2001 "This well-argued work should go on the shelf next to James J. Wirtz and Jeffrey Larsen's 'Rocket's Red Glare: Missile Defenses and the Future of World Politics' (Westview, 2001) and Roger Handberg's 'Ballistic Missile Defense and the Future of American Security (Praeger, 2001)." --Daniel K. Blewett, College of Dupage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL., Library Journal, 9/1/2001 "Preferring extensive research and development efforts to a system rushed out the door, these authors make a persuasive and fascinating case." --James A. Cox, ed., Wisconsin Bookwatch, 9/1/2001 "Preferring extensive research and development efforts to a system rushed out the door, these authors make a persuasive and fascinating case." --James A. Cox, ed., Internet Bookwatch, 9/1/2001 "In a city awash in partisan bickering, pseudo science, and the weight of a modern world, 'Defending America' is a refreshing injection of insight, balance, and common sense." --Stephen Pearson, Arlington, VA, National Security Studies Quarterly, 1/1/2002 "The reader will learn much from this book, with its helpful compendium of treaty texts, threat assessments, and the like." --Richard L. Garwin, Council on Foreign Relations, Political Science Quarterly, 7/1/2002More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN-13
978-0-8157-0008-1 (9780815700081)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
James M. Lindsay | Michael E. O'Hanlon
Defending America
The Case for Limited National Missile Defense
E-Book
05/2004
1st Edition
Brookings Institution
€22.99
Available for download
Person
James M. Lindsay is vice president and director of studies of the Council on Foreign Relations, where he holds the Maurice R. Greenberg Chair. He was previously deputy director and senior fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution. His books include Agenda for the Nation (Brookings 2003) and Defending America: The Case for Limited National Missile Defense (Brookings 2001). In 1996-97, Lindsay was director for global issues and multilateral affairs on the National Security Council staff. Michael E. O'Hanlon is the director of research and a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, where he holds the Sydney Stein Jr. Chair. His books include The Science of War (Princeton University Press, 2009) and numerous Brookings books.