Future War: Non-Lethal Weapons in Modern Warfare

by John B. Alexander

The nature of warfare has changed! Like it or not, terrorism has established a firm foothold worldwide. Economics and environmental issues are inextricably entwined on a global basis and tied directly to national regional security. Although traditional threats remain, new, shadowy, and mercurial adversaries are emerging, and identifying and locating them is difficult. Future War, based on the hard-learned lessons of Bosnia, Haiti, Somalia, Panama, and many other trouble spots, provides part of the solution.

Non-lethal weapons are a pragmatic application of force, not a peace movement. Ranging from old rubber bullets and tear gas to exotic advanced systems that can paralyze a country, they are essential for the preservation of peace and stability. Future War explains exactly how non-lethal electromagnetic and pulsed-power weapons, the laser and tazer, chemical systems, computer viruses, ultrasound and infrasound, and even biological entities will be used to stop enemies. These are the weapons of the future.

Genres: War

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 1999

Reviews

[Jamie Jonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though it reads a little like a long magazine article, this book is absolutely packed with extraordinary--and extraordinarily useful--information. I'm not a 'tech-head,' but for some reason I do find advanced weaponry fascinating. That's in part because I intend to incorporate it in my long-unfinished pseudo-military sci-fi novel, one in which a main character comes to doubt himself as 'The Ax' who brought down with brutal finality some many people. 'Future War' details actual experiments and existing techniques to minimalize if not eliminate the killing machines and methods of the prior centuries/decades. That this is important to humanity goes without saying.

[Kitap Yakıcı · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book on the some of the sorts of military and police technologies that have been deployed and improved on in the last quarter century, including information and biological warfare.

[Monzenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Low five stars. As a pre-9/11 book on the current state and evolving need for nonlethal weapons systems, it's both an informative and entertaining book. It's partly a military book and a partly a science book, too. I think it hit its objective narrative quite well.