Overview

A global history of U.S. nuclear espionage from its World War II origins to today's threats from rogue states. For fifty years, the United States has monitored friends and foes who seek to develop the ultimate weapon. Since 1952 the nuclear club has grown to at least eight nations, while others are making serious attempts to join. Each chapter chronologically focuses on the nuclear activities of one or more countries, intermingling what the United States believed was happening with accounts of what actually occurred in each country's laboratories, test sites, and decision-making councils. Jeffrey T. Richelson weaves recently declassified documents into his interviews with the scientists and spies involved in the nuclear espionage. The book reveals new information about U.S. intelligence work on the Soviet/Russian, French, Chinese, Indian, Israeli, and South African nuclear programs; on the attempts to solve the mysterious Vela Incident; and on current efforts to uncover the nuclear secrets of Iran and North Korea. The book also includes spy satellite photographs never before extracted from the national archives. The updated paperback edition includes analysis of the diplomatic maneuvering and intelligence activities that have taken place over the last year in the continued attempt to halt Iran's quest for nuclear weapons. 46 photographs, 4 maps.

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9780393329827

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Reviews

Its 121 pages of source citations are a massive compendium of information on the nuclear weapons programmes of Nazi Germany, the USSR, China, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, South Africa, Iraq and Iran, as well as on the successes and failures of official US efforts to find out what each of these countries was doing. Chalmers Johnson, London Review of Books Richelson writes with admirable clarity. The New York Times

"""Richelson’s exhaustive research has uncovered the fascinating stories of how American intelligence spied on our enemies and our allies over the past six decades in an effort to discover their nuclear secrets. The mixed record of success and failure provides important lessons for today as we try to learn what the North Koreans are up to."" -- Robert S. Norris, author of Racing for the Bomb ""Richelson writes with admirable clarity."" -- New York Times Book Review ""Full of tense and suspenseful turns."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""Spying on the Bomb…is especially damning in demonstrating how this costly array of gadgetry in the air, on land and beneath the sea still leaves us guessing about different nations’ nuclear capabilities."" -- Los Angeles Times ""Searching and informed analysis of our nation’s nuclear espionage."" -- Booklist ""A magisterial history of the U.S. nuclear intelligence effort."" -- Bulletin of Atomic Scientists"

Author Information

Jeffrey T. Richelson (1949—2017) was the author of several books on intelligence, including Spying on the Bomb and Defusing Armageddon. He was a Senior Fellow with the National Security Archive.

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