The first British nuclear weapon test took place in Australia in October 1952 and British nuclear weapons have been a source of controversy ever since. In this book, scientists, doctors, peace researchers and others assess the military value, political impact, health effects and legality of the programme and tell the story of opposition to successive generations of weapons. With the future of Trident soon to come under review, this book questions whether British nuclear weapons should have a future.

Fify-three years ago the first nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They killed some 250,000 poeple. A distinguished group of contributors examine the background and effects of the bombing and look at the lessons for a world which harbours 45,000 nuclear warheads.