In this penetrating analysis of our government's policies, David Kauzlarich and Ronald C. Kramer describe acts related to the manufacture, deployment, and testing of nuclear weapons that violate both international and federal regulatory law. They present a theoretical and historical framework for understanding these activities, examining the crimes within their organizational and social structural contexts. They also consider the significant role that these weapons of mass destruction have played in world affairs, and explore options for the prevention and control of future nuclear offenses.

This insightful work clearly shows that the threats posed by nuclear states extend far beyond the dangers of nuclear war. The authors argue convincingly that criminologists, government officials, and the general public have for too long avoided and neglected the illegal aspects of nuclear weapons policies in particular, and the larger issue of state crime in general.