New weapons and NATO : solutions or irritants? /

Kromer examines certain critical variables influencing NATO's reactions to new technologies in order to use the historical experience to judge more accurately the political, economic, and arms control effects of future weapons on the alliance. Two case studies are chosen: tactical weapons and precision-guided munitions. Kromer recognizes that the scope of his analysis is limited, but his conclusions appear sound: they are checked against other new technologies, the neutron bomb, and the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), leading to observations about how to reduce future turmoil in the alliance. Kromer, a retired military officer with operational experience in NATO, appears well qualified for the study. He fits NATO centrifugal forces within a world context, and offers much material for further examination of alliance policy. His historical base is sound and his writing style concise. Highly recommended for general reading. Compare with Joseph C. Rallo's Defending Europe in the 1990's: The New Divide of High Technology (1986). Excellent endnotes.-P.R. Schratz, Naval War College