Arms Control for the Third Nuclear Age

"This groundbreaking book reimagines the theory and practice of arms control for the return of nuclear competition in an increasingly contested and multipolar world order. Written by a scholar who also brings extensive hands-on policy experience, the analysis is neither pie-in-the-sky nor overly technocratic. David Cooper situates the conceptual and practical complexities of arms control within broader strategy and geopolitics to reveal the daunting challenges that the United States faces and to provide a workable roadmap for using arms control to preserve stable deterrence. I recommend this as essential reading for anyone who studies, practices, or cares about US national security." — Admiral James Stavridis USN, Supreme Allied Commander at NATO (2009-2013)

"David Cooper offers a bold new perspective on arms control for the geopolitical and technological realities of the twenty-first century. He makes a major contribution to the most critical issue of international order, how arms control plays out in a changing global power system. This is a challenge that will not go away—and one that is addressed clearly in this important book." — Paul Bracken, author of The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and New Power Politics

"Dr. David Cooper's book is an important contribution to the nuclear policy debate at a time when the United States and its allies face renewed strategic competition from geopolitical rivals like Russia and China. He argues that the key to successfully managing future nuclear challenges may lie in re-learning important lessons from the past, especially the need to re-couple arms control policy with broader defense strategy and deterrence objectives. This book should be required reading for all students, teachers, and bipartisan practitioners of nuclear policy." — Frank A. Rose, senior fellow, The Brookings Institution and Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance (2014-17)

"This is one of the best books on deterrence, strategic issues, nuclear weapons, and arms control to appear in years. This work is critically important for all policymakers as they try to understand how to deal with the changing international security environment. The lessons of the Cold War provide the necessary historical education, and the discussion about the nuances and challenges of today's network of nuclear adversaries, both large and small, will help them understand the critical nature and potential ripple effects of decisions related to America's security. The stark reality is that the Cold War is back, as this book makes convincingly clear. The author, a recognized expert in the field, provides practical and reasonable recommendations for restarting arms control in today's political environment." — Jeffrey Larsen, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey