Historical Dictionary of Arms Control and Disarmament

The introduction provides a good overview of arms control and disarmament throughout history and presents a case for continued relevance in today's world....As much of the formal literature in this field is technical, the authors have translated the terms into language understandable by the lay reader. This would be a good purchase for an academic or public library. * Booklist *
While the subject of this dictionary is a specialized one, its importance cannot be denied, for, as the authors point out, the existence of effective arms control treaties helped to preserve the world from catastrophe during the Cold War period to which the majority of the articles in the book refer...The Dictionary would indeed by a useful resource for the instruction both of aspiring politicians and of general readers and students who wish to inform themselves on a subject still vital to the future of the world. * s *
This work is a valuable introduction to those desirous of learning more about arms control and disarmament in international diplomacy and security policy....highly recommended for academic libraries. * American Reference Books Annual *
Larsen and Smith’s dictionary chronicles key terms, personalities, events and agreements in the history of arms control and disarmament, and includes both traditional and nontraditional approaches. In addition to the 1,000-plus dictionary entries, the text features a chronological timeline from 1100 B.C. to 2004, a brief introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography, organized thematically into sections on history and negotiations, institutions, regional perspectives, war prevention, reducing the consequences of war, reducing the costs of war preparation, journals and internet websites. For policy practitioners, researchers, and students. * Reference and Research Book News *
Specialists, policy makers, and interested general readers alike will be forever grateful to the authors for making the otherwise arcane world of arms control accessible to all. Larsen and Smith, both former Air Force pilots and military academy professors, have distinguished themselves as leading arms control experts and have published extensively. In addition to more than 1,000 entries, this historical dictionary features a short essay on the history of arms control, an 8-page list of acronyms and abbreviations, a 36-page chronology, and a bibliography of more than 100 pages. The entries range in length from one sentence to short essays of several paragraphs, with most being a single paragraph. Indeed, in their effort to be comprehensive, the authors have included some entries with little or no apparent relationship to arms control; experts might quibble about other minor details. But there is no denying the value of this impressive compilation. The text is straightforward, understandable, and extensively cross-referenced; no other recent book is like it. This work deserves a place on the shelves of college and university libraries, public libraries, and collections specializing in international security affairs, and on the desks of arms control specialists. Highly recommended. All levels. * CHOICE *