Peacekeepers, effective deterrent or potential cause of ultimate disaster? Understanding what nuclear weapons are for has never been more essential.

Patricia Shamai traces the history of nuclear weapons from their first use in 1945 when they brought the Second World War to an end, through the Cold War when they gave rise to peace movements and disarmament efforts to the ominous nuclear landscape today.

Shamai shows how nuclear weapons have, to date, been a deterrent by raising the stakes of war and thereby reducing the chances of certain kinds of conflict. But, she warns, this is not a permanent situation ? its continuation depends on the world's reaction to this threat and ongoing vigilance.