The Twilight of the Bombs

Reviews

“No one writes better about nuclear history than Rhodes does, ably combining a scholar’s attention to detail with a novelist’s devotion to character and pacing . . . The ingenuity and progressive spirit he reveals inspire optimism.”
            -George Perkovich, Best Books of 2010, The Washington Post
 
“Moving . . . Rhodes makes a good case for the optimistic interpretation of this history.”
            -Michael D. Gordin, San Francisco Chronicle (Best Books of 2010)
 
“Remarkable . . . Subtle . . . The Twilight of the Bombs brims with intriguing anecdotes . . . In the end, Rhodes’s conclusion is that the only safety in a nuclear age is an age without nuclear weapons. How that entirely unreasonable aim can be achieved in an unreasonable world is a difficult proposition. Rhodes speaks to it with great eloquence.”
            -Timothy Rutten, Los Angeles Times
 
“Here is perhaps the most approachable look at Iraq’s nuclear effort, a riveting account of the whereabouts of the Russian nuclear-weapons activization apparatus during the failed coup against Mikhail Gorbachev, and a detailed examination of Sam Nunn’s crusade to account for the nearly 1,500 metric tons of nuclear materials and weapons of the former Soviet Union . . . In an unusual alchemy of physics and politics, Rhodes explains both the science and the culture of the nuclear age.  He does so with the wisdom of the historian and the morality of the ages.”
            -David M. Shribman, Boston Sunday Globe
 
“Rhodes deserves considerable praise for his four books.  He writes with remarkable confidence and clarity about these terrible devices.  He tells stories well.  He loads his text with interesting facts.  His technical command is impressive.  He’s a rare writer who can explain why the short half-life of tritium gas means that we no longer need to worry about suitcase bombs stolen from the old Soviet Union.”
            -Nicholas Thompson, The New York Times Book Review
 
“Authoritative . . . Brilliant . . . Required reading for any debate about nuclear security policy.”
            -Joseph Cirincione, Nature
 
“Exciting . . . Cool and evenhanded . . . Rhodes owns this territory, and there’s a lot of it to cover.”
            -Craig Seligman, Bloomberg
 
“Urgent advice from a sage commentator.”
            -Baton Rouge Advocate
 
“Richard Rhodes is the most durable and experienced chronicler of the history of nuclear weaponry . . . [In The Twilight of the Bombs] one gets a clear summary of the conferences, initiatives and frustrations inherent in efforts to limit proliferation, peppered with informative and even colorful vignettes and personalities . . . Rhodes combines the scholar and the reporter impressively.”
            -David C. Acheson, The Washington Times
 
“The Twilight of the Bombs is an apt conclusion to an epic undertaking . . . At each step Rhodes offers fresh perspective on the historical record.”
            -Kevin Canfield, The Kansas City Star
 
“Fascinating and assiduously researched . . . Packed with revealing, documented information, scientific facts and acute insights, The Twilight of the Bombs is a thorough examination of the last twenty-five years of the world’s nuclear conundrum.  It is compelling reading of the highest importance.”
            -St. Petersburg Times [Tampa Bay]
 
“Rhodes’s soaring and swooping eagle eye has noticed features in the political landscape of the last 20 years that most of us have overlooked.  Few judgments have the authority and clarity Rhodes can bring to bear as he sorts through the aftermath of the age of the superpowers.”
            -Roger Snodgrass, The Santa Fe New Mexican
 
“Each [book in The Making of the Nuclear Age tetralogy] has been a triumph of information-gathering, narrative drive and philosophizing . . . For some readers, the entire book will seem fresh, will cram the brain with previously unknown information . . . Rhodes’s reporting about averting calamity in the former Soviet Union will resonate months and probably years from now.”
            -Steve Weinberg, The Denver Post
 
“Since the publication of The Making of the Atomic Bomb . . . Rhodes has owned the story of nuclear weapons . . . [The Twilight of the Bombs is] a skillful assessment of the transformation of nuclear weapons from the so-called guardians of our security during the Cold War to the burden and catastrophic threat they pose today . . . Informed and eloquent.”
            -Kirkus
 
“Absorbing . . . Rhodes makes the technical issues lucid and accessible, and the tale also has intrigue and suspense, heroes (Jimmy Carter) and villains (the Bush administration). It’s a story of deceit, corrupt politics, and diplomatic half-measures, but also of improbable outbreaks of common sense and far-sightedness . . . Rhodes shows us the heartening spectacle of humanity slowly turning away from the abyss.”
            -Publishers Weekly
 
“Impassioned . . . Rhodes’ formidable nuclear knowledge, readably presented, will convey his moral opposition to nuclear deterrence to a sizable audience.”
            -Booklist
 
“Painstakingly researched . . . Rhodes’s clear, thoughtful writing makes this title an essential read for those who want to stay informed about global nuclear politics.”
            -Library Journal