Nuclear Logics: Contrasting Paths in East Asia and the Middle East (Princeton Studies in International History and Politics)

Nuclear Logics is a groundbreaking book that provides a comprehensive analysis of nuclear proliferation, offering a fresh perspective on why some states seek nuclear weapons while others renounce them.

The author, Etel Solingen, examines nine cases in East Asia and the Middle East, identifying two distinct regional patterns.

In East Asia, most countries have forsaken nuclear weapons, with North Korea being the anomaly.

In the Middle East, the opposite is true, with Iran, Iraq, Israel, and Libya suspected of pursuing nuclear-weapons capabilities, while Egypt is the anomaly.

The book provides a detailed analysis of the domestic conditions underlying these divergent paths, arguing that there are clear differences between states whose leaders advocate integration in the global economy and those that reject it.

The author also considers other logics explaining nuclear behavior, including security dilemmas, international norms and institutions, and the role of democracy and authoritarianism.

Nuclear Logics is a must-read for researchers, teachers, and practitioners, providing an invaluable resource for understanding nuclear proliferation and its relationship to internal and external political survival.