"Biological weapons are widely feared, yet rarely used. Biological weapons were the first weapon prohibited by an international treaty, yet the proliferation of these weapons increased after they were banned in 1972. Biological weapons are frequently called 'the poor man's atomic bomb,' yet they cannot provide the same deterrent capability as nuclear weapons. One of my goals in this book is to explain the underlying principles of these apparent paradoxes."—from Living Weapons Biological weapons are the least well understood of the so-called weapons of mass destruction. Unlike nuclear and chemical weapons, biological weapons are composed of, or derived from, living organisms. In Living Weapons, Gregory D. Koblentz provides a comprehensive analysis of the unique challenges that biological weapons pose for international security. At a time when the United States enjoys overwhelming conventional military superiority, biological weapons have emerged as an attractive means for less powerful states and terrorist groups to wage asymmetric warfare. Koblentz also warns that advances in the life sciences have the potential to heighten the lethality and variety of biological weapons. The considerable overlap between the equipment, materials and knowledge required to develop biological weapons, conduct civilian biomedical research, and develop biological defenses creates a multiuse dilemma that limits the effectiveness of verification, hinders civilian oversight, and complicates threat assessments. Living Weapons draws on the American, Soviet, Russian, South African, and Iraqi biological weapons programs to enhance our understanding of the special challenges posed by these weapons for arms control, deterrence, civilian-military relations, and intelligence. Koblentz also examines the aspirations of terrorist groups to develop these weapons and the obstacles they have faced. Biological weapons, Koblentz argues, will continue to threaten international security until defenses against such weapons are improved, governments can reliably detect biological weapon activities, the proliferation of materials and expertise is limited, and international norms against the possession and use of biological weapons are strengthened.

Sharpen your knowledge of swords with Kristen B. Neuschel as she takes you through a captivating 1,000 years of French and English history. Living by the Sword reveals that warrior culture, with the sword as its ultimate symbol, was deeply rooted in ritual long before the introduction of gunpowder weapons transformed the battlefield. Neuschel argues that objects have agency and that decoding their meaning involves seeing them in motion: bought, sold, exchanged, refurbished, written about, displayed, and used in ceremony. Drawing on evidence about swords (from wills, inventories, records of armories, and treasuries) in the possession of nobles and royalty, she explores the meanings people attached to them from the contexts in which they appeared. These environments included other prestige goods such as tapestries, jewels, and tableware—all used to construct and display status. Living by the Sword draws on an exciting diversity of sources from archaeology, military and social history, literature, and material culture studies to inspire students and educated lay readers (including collectors and reenactors) to stretch the boundaries of what they know as the "war and culture" genre.

Award-winning essayist and poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips presents a bracing renewal of civic poetry in Living Weapon. . . . and we’d do this again And again and again, without ever Knowing we were the weapon ourselves, Stronger than steel, story, and hydrogen. — from "Even Homer Nods" A revelation, a shoring up, a transposition: Rowan Ricardo Phillips’s Living Weapon is a love song to the imagination, a new blade of light honed in on our political moment. A winged man plummets from the troposphere; four NYPD officers enter a cellphone store; concrete sidewalks hang overhead. Here, in his third collection of poems, Phillips offers us ruminations on violins and violence, on hatred, on turning forty-three, even on the end of existence itself. Living Weapon reveals to us the limitations of our vocabulary, that our platitudes are not enough for the brutal times in which we find ourselves. But still, our lives go on, and these are poems of survival as much as they are an indictment. Couched in language both wry and ample, Living Weapon is a piercing addition from a “virtuoso poetic voice” (Granta).

Describes the history of the nuclear arms race, examines the dangers of nuclear war, and discusses strategies for stopping the spread of nuclear weapons.

This examination of the implications and regulation of autonomous weapons systems combines contributions from law, robotics and philosophy.

Describes in text and pictures weapons used through the ages, from the stones of prehistoric man to the bombs of modern times.

The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks and military action. The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings she did not know him as well as she thought. The drone known as Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these people. It had once saved the woman's life by massacring her attackers in a particularly bloody manner. It believed the man to be a lost cause. But not even its machine could see the horrors in his past. Ferociously intelligent, both witty and horrific, Use of Weapons is a masterpiece of science fiction. The Culture Series Consider Phlebas The Player of Games Use of Weapons The State of the Art Excession Inversions Look to Windward Matter Surface Detail The Hydrogen Sonata

Soma, Aina, and Lina have begun their journey in search of a way to use magic. With no leads and no other means of making money, the three decide to register as adventurers at a guild. There they meet the mysterious Sierra, who tells them of ancient ruins where a mystical power lies dormant. Soma can’t pass up the chance that whatever it is might grant him the ability to use magic, but traversing the ruins will pit them against forces they don’t understand.

"Living Lies" is an enthralling story about espionage, human frailty, and loyalty. The plot focuses on a covert Iranian nuclear weapons program, as written by a senior CIA operations officer whose career was devoted to battling the spread of weapons of mass destruction. He also led the CIA team which disrupted the deadliest nuclear weapons network in history. This is the first installment of a series of espionage thrillers. The story begins as the U.S. is eagerly pursuing negotiations with Iran regarding their nuclear weapons program. A well-placed source in the Iranian delegation provides seemingly critical intelligence on their positions after he volunteers to a gullible CIA officer. The Iranian source, however, is a double agent controlled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. A more talented CIA officer, Lane Andrews, recruits a legitimate source. His source discovers the stark truth in Iran and reports back at great risk to himself. Lane struggles in vain to convince the CIA that there is a double agent influencing the negotiations, but the U.S. and Iran strike a deal. The CIA Director, a narcissistic billionaire, is delighted that Iran has caved into the U.S. demands. Except it secretly hasn't. "Living Lies" will keep readers on the edge as they embark on a thrilling adventure filled with unexpected twists and turns. Lane must find a way to do the right thing and prevent largescale death and destruction in a world where trustworthiness is nonexistent. This is an unforgettable espionage thriller that will keep you coming back for more with each page. Get ready for an adventure filled with thrills, danger, and excitement in "Living Lies"!

Be vigil my children, for when the day comes that the gods of old arise again, and the Wanderer walks abroad, the Uncrowned King shall stand beside the Last Druin and unite the lands against the Void But do not be deceived, the Great Beast Azkalon, Lord of the Void, shall awaken from the Beyond, woe to the unwary for even the dead shall cower in his wake. ~From the Prophecy of the Uncrowned King~ War has come to us at last. We had been warned. But the hubris of men has blinded us to the past, and all the alliances of old have faded. The Druins, who had stood to oppose the gods who have ruled our people for countless generations, are no more. They had been betrayed. We allowed them to free us, and once we became strong again, we destroyed them. Where should we turn now? For five hundred years we have stood upon the might of our Imperium. Will we be able to contend against the might of gods? I fear the dark shadows that grows beneath the mountains, for our doom is fated by the deceit of our own pride. We stand alone. The old gods have returned, once again Thangar will know the might of the Dwarves who worship them. ~Spoken by the Forgotten The days of prophecy are upon us. Let the Uncrowned King ride the course of Fate.