Defusing Armageddon - Inside NEST, America's Secret Nuclear Bomb Squad

Jeffrey T. Richelson reveals the history of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team, from the events leading to its creation in 1974 to today. Defusing Armageddon provides a behind-the-scenes look at NEST's personnel, operations, and detection and disablement equipment--employed in response to attempts at nuclear extortion, lost and stolen nuclear material, crashed nuclear-powered Soviet satellites, and al Qaeda's quest for nuclear weapons. Richelson traces the Cosmos satellite that crashed into the Canadian wilderness; nuclear threats to Los Angeles, New York, and other cities; and the surveillance of Muslim sites in the United States after 9/11. Relying on recently declassified documents and interviews with former NEST personnel, Richelson's extensive research reveals how NEST operated during the Cold War, how the agency has evolved, and its current efforts to reduce the chance of a nuclear device decimating an American city.

About the author

Jeffrey T. Richelson (1949—2017) was the author of several books on intelligence, including Spying on the Bomb and Defusing Armageddon. He was a Senior Fellow with the National Security Archive.

Product details

• Authors: Jeffrey T. Richelson, Richelson Jeffrey T.
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 17.07.2025
• EAN: 9780393349597
• ISBN: 978-0-393-34959-7
• Illustrations: 16 pages of illustrations; 4 maps
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; HISTORY / Military / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Intelligence & Espionage, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Terrorism, military history, HISTORY / Military / Nuclear Warfare, Terrorism, armed struggle, Espionage & secret services, Nuclear weapons, Espionage and secret services