The Button

The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump

By: William J. Perry, Tom Z. Collina

Narrated by: John Pruden

Since the Truman administration, America has been one "push of a button" away from nuclear war - a decision that rests solely in the hands of the president. Without waiting for approval from Congress or even the secretary of defense, the president can unleash America's entire nuclear arsenal.

From authors William J. Perry, secretary of defense in the Clinton administration, and Tom Z. Collina, the director of policy at Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation in Washington, DC, The Button recounts the terrifying history of nuclear launch authority, from the faulty 46-cent microchip that nearly caused World War III to president Trump's tweet about his "much bigger & more powerful" button. Perry and Collina share their firsthand experience on the front lines of the nation's nuclear history and provide illuminating interviews with former president Bill Clinton, former secretary of defense Jim Mattis, Congressman Adam Smith, Nobel Peace Prize winner Beatrice Fihn, senior Obama administration officials, and many others.

Written in an accessible and authoritative voice, The Button reveals the shocking tales and sobering facts of nuclear executive authority throughout the atomic age, delivering a powerful condemnation against ever leaving explosive power this devastating under any one person's thumb.

©2020 William J. Perry and Tom Z. Collina (P)2020 Kalorama

This didn’t age well

William Perry is a smart guy, but hopelessly naive.
RF behavior since the fall of USSR is not the fault of western provocation, but an attempt to reset history so they are a major actor again.
Reducing our deterrent forces in response to RF protests is taking liars at their word as proven by the events in Eastern Europe today.
We need to update our deterrence, harden communications lines in the west and prepare for what will arguably be a surprise attack which RT is preparing for by the recent deployment of space weapons on their part.
Since 1945, we have refined our NC3 with every false alarm. The reliability of our sensors today is orders of magnitude better than it was even in the 90s.
William Perry wants disarmament at all costs because it’s his life’s work, not because the evidence shows that we are just seconds from a mishap, which we aren’t.
A strong nuclear AND conventional deterrent at a state of high rediness against at least two major powers is the right way.

Outstanding explanation of the nuclear arms race

This book is an outstanding explanation of the history, the current status, and the potential future of nuclear war. I found it extremely informative, interesting, and entertaining even though the subject matter was so serious. I highly recommend it to anybody interested in the subject.

I like it It taught me lots of good things to know.

This was a good book I learned something out of this book It was very interesting
I don't give this rating five out of ten

Some good ideas

Nuclear war is more likely to start accidentally than on purpose. Land-based ICBMS and launch-on-warning should be discontinued because they create many perverse incentives and have few if any real benefits. Presidents should no longer have sole authority to order nuclear release, as even the Russians use a two-of-three consensus system. All important concepts that every voter should understand and prioritize.

Important and urgent subject.

Very thorough and engaging book. Covers the history of the atomic bomb as well as current danger the nuclear weapons are to civilisation. Highly recommend it.