Milton Leitenberg has done us a great service. His balanced and comprehensive reconstruction of the history of Soviet submarine operations in Swedish waters will benefit all students of Soviet policy and practice in Northern Europe. The accompanying discussions of the domestic and international political contexts within which those submarine operations were perceived; responded to; and reported on; doubles the value of the work. The full Soviet military rationale for those operations may remain somewhat elusive; but Leitenberg has clearly provided us with a cogent description of their political consequences. Robert G. Weinland; Consultant; Washington; D.CThe book first presents a comprehensive account of the overall incidence of violations; not only in Sweden but in other countries as well; between 1970 and 1987. The author then shows that the provisional; more exploratory stages of the operations in Sweden apparently began well before 1980 and have continued despite the Soviet Union's public campaign for a Nordic Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. An analysis of the incursions is given next; including a look at Sweden's response to a problem it may not have anticipated when its own preconceptions and the norms of international behavior were clearly contradicted by reality. Also discussed are the motives behind the Soviet submarine operations and various provocation theories.
#1058850 in Books The MIT Press 2010-02-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.00 x 8.00l; 2.19 #File Name: 026251401X608 pages
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. The March to the FutureBy Mike3746Several years ago; the education channel in our town had a show called "Connections" in which the story was told of how common things of the modern world came to be through the most fantastic journey of inventions. This book encompasses just about everything we have today and tells how it all came to be. But; the author goes to the extreme of telling not just aobut the inventors; the tinkerers and the capitalists who profited from them; it tells the intriguing human side of technology and how it impacted the lives of the people who benefited and also suffered because of them. It is a remarkably detailed adventure through the history of how modern people came to be. I found it to be a book I could hardly put down and once I did; I was eager to get back to it. It takes the reader from the first black smiths to the super sonic transport; from the invention of thread and yarn making to the launching of satellites. It is the remarkable story of western civilizations; north of the Mediterranean; west of the Volga; and how they advanced steadily; relentlessly and with ever quickening pace to make the world we know. Do not expect gratuitous recognitions to other cultures or apologies to nature or to overtaken primitive societies. This is a factual; no-holds-barred history of industry and how the European men and women made things that made things happen. It explores ruthlessly the insanely driven mechanics; the dusty masons; the sooty handed artisans who were there at the first laying of the foundation corner stone of western civilization. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to find out just how it is we arrived here and now.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very informative read!By MsBee89I loved how the chapters were divided and it comes a nice span of time in history. Definitely worth the buy!2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Culture of ExcitementBy Richard PilbrowThis book is such a treasure trove . . . A thrilling read of constant discovery.We live in a complicated world and this amazing piece of scholarship reveals how it came about. Everything we take for granted. How it happened. From the plough to the microchip; I was constantly surprised and excited to discover how things really came to pass. The story of so many individuals' struggles to improve and innovate is inspiring.This is a big book. When I began I had no idea of what riches it would be reveal. (the eBook version is easier to handle) but every pages offers new insights. A great and absorbing read.
