The Kremlin's Nuclear Sword; The Rise and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces, 1945-2000

Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Good/Very good. viii, 296 pages. Illustrations. Tables. Appendix 1. Missile Technical data. Appendix 2. Soviet Strategic Forces, 1960-Present. Appendix 3. Guide to Soviet and Western Designations. Notes. Index. Ink marks to text noted. Steven J. Zaloga (born February 1, 1952) is an American author and defense consultant. He received a bachelor's degree cum laude at Union College and a master's degree at Columbia University, both in history. He did graduate research and language study at Uniwersitet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland. His professional specialization is the commercial and technological aspects of the international trade in missiles, precision guided munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles. He also serves as an adjunct staff member with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank. Mr. Zaloga has published numerous books and articles on military technology and military history. His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He has been a special correspondent for "Jane's Intelligence Review" and is on the executive board of the "Journal of Slavic Military Studies". From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/director for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series "Firepower" that aired on The Discovery Channel in the US. The prevailing Western view of Russia's Cold War strategic nuclear weapons policy is that it resulted from a two-part interplay between the leaders of the Communist Party and the military. Steven J. Zaloga has found that a third contributor, the Russian defense industry, also played a vital role. Drawing from elusive Russian source material and interviews with many proud Russian and Ukrainian engineers, Zaloga presents a definitive account of Russia's strategic forces, who built them, and why. The book is the first in English to refer to the weapons by their actual Soviet names, providing the bedrock for future works. Helpful appendices list U.S., NATO, and other designations, and the illustrations provide clear visual references.