Thunder over the Horizon: From V-2 Rockets to Ballistic Missiles

(Hardback)

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In this general history of the development of rockets and missiles, Chun traces the technology that made attack from beyond the horizon possible. A former missile launch officer, he focusess not only on the development and employment of the ballistic missilefrom early German V-2 use to todaybut on their subsequent impact on national strategies, doctrine, force structure, and politics. The development of ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads had a profound impact on superpower rivalries and structured international relations for decades. The advent of the ballistic missile changed the way nations believed war was to be fought in the future. Ballistic missiles (land based and submarine-launched) are now global in scope. Accordingly, the book covers Russia, China, North Korea, South Asia, and the Middle East. It details actual use in combat, as well as current countermeasures and future missile defense systems. In this general history of the development of rockets and missiles, Chun traces the technology that made attack from beyond the horizon possible. A former missile launch officer, he focuses not only on the development and employment of the ballistic missilefrom early German V-2 use to todaybut on their subsequent impact on national strategies, doctrine, force structure, and politics. The development of ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads had a profound impact on superpower rivalries and structured international relations for decades. The advent of the ballistic missile changed the way nations believed war was to be fought in the future. Ballistic missiles (land based and submarine-launched) are now global in scope. Accordingly, the book covers Russia, China, North Korea, South Asia, and the Middle East. It details actual use in combat, as well as current countermeasures and future missile defense systems. The ballistic missile is still a relevant weapon system. Advancements in miniaturization, spread of technology, availability of weapons of mass destruction, desire to gain strategic advantage among rivals, and other concerns have stimulated the growth of interested parties that either have or are able to build ballistic missiles. Tracing the development and issues regarding such missiles serves as a primer on these complex systems, and explains why international parties are still concerned about their proliferation.

Reviews

If one wishes to examine the influence of the automobile in modern American society, one might start by researching how a car operates as well as a history of the changes in design. A plethora of books exist that do this while avoiding advocacy for or against the automobile. In the area of strategic weapons, however, that type of book is rare. All too often, the authors of books on modern weapons of war tend to be either hawkish or dovish in their presentations, advocating or disparaging the weapons they are discussing. Chun, a professor at the Army War College, has managed to write that rare book that largely does neither.Thunder over the Horizon succeeds in giving a relatively bias-free examination of the history, use, and basic technology behind ballistic missiles. Although it is impossible to completely understand the state of ballistic missiles in the world today without understanding the political and strategic ramifications that affect and are affected by them, this book nonetheless provides much of the historical and technical background necessary to understand the higher-level debates. Recommended. General readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates; two-year technical program students. * Choice *
For the general reader, this history of rockets and missiles also explains how they work and how they are used. Chun presents case studies of their use in World War II (like the V-2), the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Iraq's conflicts with Iran, the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and the US development of ballistic missiles. He describes countries that are a threat to the US, the influence of new technology, and US national strategy and policy. Chun is a former Missile Launch Officer and Pentagon Officer in the Strategy Division of the Air Staff. * SciTech Book News *
Clayton K.S. Chun's Thunder Over the Horizon: From V-2 Rockets to Ballistic Missles joins others in the 'War, Technology and History' series to focus on how the development of ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads has affected national relations for decades. Chapters survey the evolution of the technology which fostered new ideas of war capabilities, drawing important links between science and military development and they come from a former missile launch officer who uses his insider's military savvy to add to the historical overview of usage and strategy. * California Bookwatch *

Author Bio

Clayton K.S. Chun is Chair of the Department of Distance Education at the United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA. He is a former Missile Launch Officer and Pentagon Officer in the Strategy Division of the Air Staff. His publications include Aerospace Power in the 21st Century: A Basic Primer, US Army in the Plains Indian Wars 1865-91, and Doolittle Raid.