The Boys Behind the Bombs

Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 1983. First Edition [stated], presumed first printing. Hardcover. very good/good.. [10], 298, [4] pages. Pencil erasure residue on fep. DJ has some wear, soiling, and edge tears. Michael Parfit has written on contemporary issues for many prominent national magazines, including The New York Times Magazine, New Times, and The Smithsonian. In addition to being an author, Mr. Parfit branched out later in his career into documentaries. Derived from a Kirkus review: A history of American nuclear weapons development--built around profiles of a handful of Defense Department planners, Air Force officers, and consultants who have played key roles. Parfit suggests, they are responsible for where we are today in nuclear weapons policy. Parfit presents a chronology of America's weapons program and the "boys" careers from the mid-Sixties on: Minuteman and MIRVs; the Strat-X study of hiding places for missiles; flights to Washington to scramble for funds and give briefings; the B-1 bomber-vs.-advanced-ICBM dialogue; the development of the MX and the still ongoing debate over basing systems. Through it all, the ""boys"" survive. The process, Parfit argues, selects people who believe that technology is the answer. Parfit's position on the cynicism/trust issue seems clear from the outset, but he avoids the easy trap of painting the weapons specialists as obsessed fanatics. This work is a successful in capturing some of the inside feel.