The Rite of War by Stan Windass

The Rite of War is a welcome exception to the gloom and despondency of current books on the nuclear weapons debate.

Written in a lively, down-to-earth style and illustrated with a selection of imaginative cartoons, the book faces the issue of how to reduce dependence on nuclear weapons without jeopardizing peace and making conventional war more likely.

It opens with a mock trial of the Superpowers jointly accused of 'seeking to construct a world empire by force'. The 'jury' urges them to 'mount an immediate enquiry into how they might establish systems of defense which, while effectively preserving their own security, do not threaten the security of others'.

The key to these systems is the move towards a more effective conventional-and noticeably more defensive - defence, with nuclear weapons casting a ritual spell over military postures. The long road to the common security goal is through a 3 Rs approach to excessive weaponry - ritualize, reduce and remove.

Stan Windass does not claim to have instant answers but he does chart a way forward which could command wide consensus.

This is a book which concerns the people who develop our defence policy-politicians and governments - and the people who vote for them.

ISBN: 0-08-033605-1