Books like The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg

In this candid, first‑hand narrative, former defense analyst Daniel Ellsberg, best known for the Pentagon Papers, discusses the long‑standing and largely secretive policies that have governed America’s nuclear arsenal since the 1960s. He details how the authority to launch nuclear weapons was devolved to high‑level commanders at remote bases, the original plans for a general nuclear war during the Eisenhower administration, and the continued relevance of those doctrines under later presidents. Drawing on his own experiences, Ellsberg presents a stark view of the feasibility of nuclear escalation and offers a call for reforms aimed at dismantling the perceived doomsday machine. The book serves both as an exposé of a critical era in U.S. military planning and as a warning about the ongoing threats posed by nuclear weapons.

First publish date: 2017