Synopses & Reviews
This book recounts why and how China built a nuclear submarine fleet and the impact of the effort on politics, technology, industry, and strategy. China expanded the scientific and industrial system that produced an atomic bomb to launch a thirty-year drive for nuclear submarines with solid-fuel missiles. The story involves the interplay of politics, technology, and social change in the tumultuous years 1958 to 1990. These years saw the rupture with the USSR, the Great Leap Forward and subsequent famine, the rise and fall of Lin Biao, and the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution - during which, 3,000 naval officers were purged and the submarine's chief designer was repeatedly threatened with execution. Using new documentary sources, the authors analyze the shifting roles of leaders, organizations, and experts within China's secret military industry, built to withstand attack from either superpower.
Review
"This is the second volume by the authors on China'a strategic weaponryfollowing China Builds the Bomb. . . . These books constitute landmark studies on the topic, and will be standard references for years to come."Choice
Review
"Lewis and Xue have provided us with yet another superb volume . . . another pathfinding examination of the personalities and processes in China's most secretive policy areanational defense."China Review International
Review
"The authors tell an absorbing and convincing tale of how this technologically backward and politically turbulent country managed to create workable advanced weapon systems."Foreign Affairs
Review
"This is a truly landmark study of the People's Republic of China's policy-making process in nuclear weapons development and acquisition. The authors vividly and explicitly describe how and why China built its nuclear submarine flotilla and, more importantly assess that development's impact on the nation's politics, technology, industry, and strategy."American Historical Review
Synopsis
This book recounts why and how China built a nuclear submarine fleet and its impact on national politics, technology, industry and strategy.
Synopsis
Using major new documentary sources, this book tells the story of why and how China built its nuclear submarine flotilla and the impact of that development on the nation's politics, technology, industry, and strategy.
Synopsis
“This is a landmark work, a pioneering study of Chinas policy process in weapons development and acquisition. Making excellent use of recent PRC publications on military and Party history, including biographies and autobiographies, it is also informed by interviews with authoritative Chinese officials. This sophisticated ‘state of the art book on Chinese politics should put the United States on notice: fueled by nationalistic aspirations, China is determined to acquire the most advanced military might in the world in as expeditious a fashion as possible.”—Michel Oksenberg, East-West Center
“The authors tell an absorbing and convincing tale of how this technologically backward and politically turbulent country managed to create workable advanced weapon systems.”—Foreign Affairs