Dunbeath publishing company's new book explores Cold War Britain
THE latest book from Dunbeath-based Whittles Publishing – Britain and the Bomb, by WJ Nuttall – is a story of remarkable technological ambition through the Cold War period.
Britain and the Bomb tells one of the great British stories from the Cold War – the transition of the nuclear deterrent from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Navy. The author draws upon insights from the laboratories, the military, popular culture and from politicians to make sense of a complex time and to challenge some widely held perceptions that Britain in the 1960s lost her technical ambition and ability.
The story pivots around a single day in April 1965. The recently established Labour government very publicly cancelled the much-vaunted TSR2 nuclear strike bomber, causing dismay among aviation enthusiasts. What really happened to the TSR2 and more importantly what happened in the years that followed?
While Britain cancelled its strike bomber ambitions, it secretly pursued a different nuclear weapons project: the Chevaline upgrade of the submarine-based nuclear deterrent.
The book will especially appeal to anyone interested in modern history, the Cold War and nuclear technology policy.
Britain and the Bomb by WJ Nuttall from Whittles Publishing is priced £18.99 (240pp with illustrations).