The tradition of non-use of nuclear weapons /

Paul (McGill Univ.) provides a theoretical discourse and extensive study regarding what he calls the tradition of the non-use of nuclear weapons. This survey explains why neither realpolitik nor constructivist explanations of a so-called taboo fully capture the tradition of non-use. In the first two chapters, the author lays out the arguments of both realists and constructivists, including the limitations of their explanations. The former relies on material explanations, whereas the latter relies on cultural and taboo considerations. Instead, Paul adopts a "puzzle-driven intermediate theory." This intermediate theory is reliant on variables from different paradigms, but it relies heavily on material and reputational concerns. He then analyzes the variables that influenced US administrations from Truman to Clinton. Later chapters survey the relevance of the tradition among the other recognized nuclear states--Russia, Britain, France, and China; an analysis of Israel, India, and Pakistan follows. The final two chapters review the perceptions of non-nuclear states and the role of the tradition in sustaining the nuclear nonproliferation regime. The book concludes with a summary of the forces leading to the tradition of non-use and the importance of furthering it in the years to come, especially with respect to US nuclear weapons policy. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections. E. A. Turpen Henry L. Stimson Center