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On Nuclear Terrorism
Nuclear terrorism is such a disturbing prospect that we shy away from its details. Yet as a consequence, we fail to understand how best to defeat it. Michael Levi takes us inside nuclear terrorism and behind the decisions a terrorist leader would be faced with in pursuing a nuclear plot. Along the way, Levi identifies the many obstacles, large and small, that such a terrorist scheme might encounter, allowing him to discover a host of ways that any plan might be foiled. Surveying the broad universe of plots and defenses, this accessible account shows how a wide-ranging defense that integrates the tools of weapon and materials security, law enforcement, intelligence, border controls, diplomacy, and the military can multiply, intensify, and compound the possibility that nuclear terrorists will fail. Levi draws from our long experience with terrorism and cautions us not to focus solely on the most harrowing yet most improbable threats. Nuclear terrorism shares much in common with other terrorist threats--and as a result, he argues, defeating it is impossible unless we put our entire counterterrorism and homeland security house in order. As long as we live in a nuclear age, no defense can completely eliminate nuclear terrorism. But this book reminds us that the right strategy can minimize the risks and shows us how to do it.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 20, 2026
One of the more challenging reads that I have completed recently. Despite only being ~200 pages, the content of the book is not for those who dislike reading about chemistry and physics. That being said, there are some things I personally enjoyed and disliked about the book:
Pros:
1. The book is extremely short compared to what it could be in terms of page length. The book without the appendix is roughly 150 pages, so its considered a very short read.
2. There is more than enough content regarding history, politics, government, and nuclear technology for anyone to find their piece of the pie represented within the book. Levi is extremely well-informed on the content that he discusses throughout the book. As a history and political science student, there were some bits of the book that absolutely fit within my major, making it an enticing read.
Cons:
1. There is simply too much crammed into 150 pages. I understand that this was most likely supposed to be a shorter read, seen more as a call for change through simple initiatives, but the amount of information thrown in each chapter makes it almost impossible to keep up.
2. The book jumps from topic-to-topic, often with no noticeable pattern. For instance, the beginning starts off with a historical event about smuggling nuclear materials, but the middle of the book is an entire chunk related to the science of nuclear processes and how to make uranium material that is good for nuclear detonations. Then, Levi goes back to talking about historical and political relations and how that plays into nuclear terrorism. I understand that the first instance was supposed to hook the reader in, but I am sure I am not the only one who thought this book would be focused more on the political aspects of nuclear terrorism instead of the chemistry behind nukes.
3. There is no clear "initiative" to fix these problems, and the solutions Levi leaves the reader with are too simplistic. Levi very clearly understands the numerous issues that root from nuclear terrorism and its impact on the international stage, so why dedicate such a simplistic short answer like "Reforming Defense" to the problem? The solution is probably that simple in theory, but there is no way that given all the problems and theoretical issues that Levi points out in his book that simple reform would solve the issue. For a book focused on being so detail-oriented and jam-packed, the solution felt like a sucker punch for someone looking for a more detailed plan for change. Perhaps I am missing the point, but such a solution felt like something even novice political scientists and diplomats could have found out without the book.
Not a bad read by any means, but if you are expecting a revolutionary answer the solving nuclear terrorism, I do not believe you will find such here. However, the book is extremely informative if you are overly obsessed with nuclear science and politics.
Pros:
1. The book is extremely short compared to what it could be in terms of page length. The book without the appendix is roughly 150 pages, so its considered a very short read.
2. There is more than enough content regarding history, politics, government, and nuclear technology for anyone to find their piece of the pie represented within the book. Levi is extremely well-informed on the content that he discusses throughout the book. As a history and political science student, there were some bits of the book that absolutely fit within my major, making it an enticing read.
Cons:
1. There is simply too much crammed into 150 pages. I understand that this was most likely supposed to be a shorter read, seen more as a call for change through simple initiatives, but the amount of information thrown in each chapter makes it almost impossible to keep up.
2. The book jumps from topic-to-topic, often with no noticeable pattern. For instance, the beginning starts off with a historical event about smuggling nuclear materials, but the middle of the book is an entire chunk related to the science of nuclear processes and how to make uranium material that is good for nuclear detonations. Then, Levi goes back to talking about historical and political relations and how that plays into nuclear terrorism. I understand that the first instance was supposed to hook the reader in, but I am sure I am not the only one who thought this book would be focused more on the political aspects of nuclear terrorism instead of the chemistry behind nukes.
3. There is no clear "initiative" to fix these problems, and the solutions Levi leaves the reader with are too simplistic. Levi very clearly understands the numerous issues that root from nuclear terrorism and its impact on the international stage, so why dedicate such a simplistic short answer like "Reforming Defense" to the problem? The solution is probably that simple in theory, but there is no way that given all the problems and theoretical issues that Levi points out in his book that simple reform would solve the issue. For a book focused on being so detail-oriented and jam-packed, the solution felt like a sucker punch for someone looking for a more detailed plan for change. Perhaps I am missing the point, but such a solution felt like something even novice political scientists and diplomats could have found out without the book.
Not a bad read by any means, but if you are expecting a revolutionary answer the solving nuclear terrorism, I do not believe you will find such here. However, the book is extremely informative if you are overly obsessed with nuclear science and politics.
December 17, 2025
Levi’s book is both frightening and reassuring at the same time for the lay reader. He explains in broad terms how the defense against theft of nuclear
Material and against terrorist plots is optimally organized as an interlocking web of systems but also that there is no perfect solution. He concludes that luck plays a huge part in keeping us safe from such events and that what you need to do is tilt the luck in our favour as much a possible. An excellent read.
Material and against terrorist plots is optimally organized as an interlocking web of systems but also that there is no perfect solution. He concludes that luck plays a huge part in keeping us safe from such events and that what you need to do is tilt the luck in our favour as much a possible. An excellent read.
October 17, 2012
This book is a reasonable read for those very interested in considering some of the issues covered in great detail, but it's curiously short on detail itself. Worse, it's dry as hell. I didn't think it was all that insightful, or contained all that much detail of interdiction efforts from a professional perspective. Though there is some worthwhile material in here, it is a book that felt very much to me like it was putting on airs. Levi seems to think he's writing the Gospels, and it shows. His recommendations are abstract, undetailed, and pretentiously simplistic. This problem could have been solved, and the book rendered readable, with a lot more case studies. As it is, I would not recommend this to anyone except those very interested in nuclear materials interdiction policy, and I wouldn't put it anywhere near the top of the list for them.
November 26, 2010
A professional read. The biggest thing with this book is that it does force the reader to consider the difficulties not only of those trying to prevent nuclear terrorist attack, but of those who would try to engage in such actions. The impact and danger of nuclear terrorism cannot be understated, but it is not an easy thing for any party involved (defense or offense)
January 22, 2008
This book gets a bit technical when he describes the functions of various nuclear weapons. Overall, however, the author provides a good framework for understanding and formulating a system of defense against a terrorist nuclear attack.
October 11, 2011
“Good news: It's harder for the terrorists than you think. And there is a lot we can do to make it harder still.
Bad news: We're not doing those things.
Bad news: We're not doing those things.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews