Nuking the moon : and other intelligence schemes and military plots left on the drawing board Cover Image

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Nuking the moon : and other intelligence schemes and military plots left on the drawing board / Vince Houghton.

Summary:

"In Nuking the Moon, intelligence historian Vince Houghton proves that abandoned plans can be just as illuminating--and every bit as entertaining--as the ones that made it. Vividly capturing the fascinating stories of how twenty-one plans from WWII and the Cold War went from conception, planning, and testing to cancellation, Houghton explores what happens when innovation meets desperation: For every plan as good as D-Day, there's a scheme to strap bombs to bats or dig a spy tunnel underneath the Soviet embassy. Along the way, he reveals what each one tells us about twentieth-century history, the art of spycraft, military strategy, and famous figures like JFK, Castro, and Churchill. By turns terrifying and hilarious--but always riveting--this is the unique story of history left on the drawing board"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 9780525505174 (hardcover)
Physical Description: xvi, 302 pages ; 22 cm
Publisher: [New York] : Penguin Books, [2019]
Copyright: ©2019

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction : left on the drawing board -- Acoustic Kitty -- Operation Capricious -- Project X-Ray -- Project Fantasia -- Blue Peacock -- Project Washtub -- Operation Northwoods -- Felix and his rifle -- Project Seal -- Operation Monopoly -- Project Habakkuk -- Tagboard -- The DUCC -- The X-20 and the MOL -- Brilliant Pebbles -- The Sun Gun -- The Plowshare Program's strangest idea -- Protecting the Peacekeeper -- Project Iceworm -- Aircraft nuclear propulsion and Project Orion -- Project A119 -- Conclusion : and then what?