Psychology and Deterrence

Deterrence-so basic to U.S. national security policy and indeed to much of the current system of international relations-remains of uncertain psychological validity. The authors of this sophisticated and perceptive book examine such situations as the Falklands War, the Arab-Israeli confrontations and the events leading up to World War I, and draw some troubling conclusions about risk-taking, national behavior and reliance upon deterrence as a strategy for conflict management.