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Wittner, Lawrence S. 2009, Confronting the Bomb: A Short History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2009 (xiv + 254) pb. US$21.95. ISBN 978-0-8047-5632-7.
In the decade 1993-2003 Wittner published a trilogy of scholarly volumes on the history of the international anti-nuclear weapons movement, which arguably grew into the largest grassroots movement of all time. The three tomes, which collectively covered almost 1800 pages and thousands of footnotes, began with the prophetic warning in H.G. Wells' novel The World Set Free, published in 1914, about a fictitious war fought with 'atomic bombs.' The outcome of this war was devastating, but Wells' book had an upbeat ending. To avert an even greater catastrophe the survivors rallied to create a world government and save humanity.
The modern story that Wittner chronicles over 90 years does not quite emulate the novel. Humans still have a long way to go before establishing a world government, but some progress is being made. Despite calamitous outbursts of religious, ethnic and power motivated killings, a process of globalisation is gradually moving homo sapiens in the direction of a world community. Moreover, as in the Wells plot, after witnessing the disasters of two relatively localised atomic attacks, humans have managed thus far to escape the horrors of a nuclear holocaust. How the 'great escape' eventuated is the story that unfolds in the scholarly trilogy, and is now encapsulated in a slimmer and single work aimed not only at academia but also concerned members of the general public.
In the condensed version under review, Wittner sets out at the very beginning the major question that his well researched and highly readable narrative addresses. Since nations are inclined to use the weapons that they develop, how is it that nuclear war has been avoided since 1945? Moreover, only nine nations possess nuclear arsenals, while 186 for...