THE SILENT WEAPONS: The Realities of Chemical and Biological Warfare

by Robin Clarke ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 22, 1968

This is an honest and cool analysis of what's been happening in this most controversial arena. It's an inherently emotionally charged subject and Mr. Clarke calls for wisdom in assessing it from both a moral and a military viewpoint. Make no mistake about it, however, he is solidly anti both types of weapons. While civilians may be the first victims, he also projects larger, incalculable disaters. . . when chemical controls are abandoned and we escalate to an unstable, unpredictable biological warfare where a single ounce of a toxic material may infect twenty-eight billion people. The harsh truth is that these weapons are invaluable in guerilla warfare; they are cheap, and the cost-effectiveness ratio is much higher than that of conventional weapons. . . . A science writer and editor, the author bases his arguments on substantial research. Unfortunately the only foreseeable hope he can come up with in the ""perilous situation"" resides in the moral responsibility of the scientific community which can refuse to cooperate. Possibly, but it still looks as though the ""Doomsday Bug"" is close at hand. Read it.

Pub Date: April 22, 1968

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: McKay

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1968

Categories: NONFICTION