Koblentz, Gregory D.

Shimkus, Albert J., Jr.

English

U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons

Naval War College ReviewVolume 64Number 2 Spring Article 132011Living Weapons: Biological Warfare andInternational SecurityAlbert J. Shimkus Jr.Gregory D. KoblentzFollow this and additional works at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-reviewThis Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has been accepted forinclusion in Naval War College Review by an authorized editor of U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. For more information, please contactrepository.inquiries@usnwc.edu.Recommended CitationShimkus, Albert J. Jr. and Koblentz, Gregory D. (2011) "Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International Security," Naval WarCollege Review: Vol. 64 : No. 2 , Article 13.Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol64/iss2/13than attend to its own core security in-terests on the continent. More optimis-tically, he recognizes that the UnitedStates must remain open to debate onAFRICOM’s proper role. Thus he reca-pitulates the sensible tone of this fineedited collection—hard-nosed but nothopeless.JONATHAN STEVENSONNaval War CollegeKoblentz, Gregory D. Living Weapons: BiologicalWarfare and International Security. Ithaca, N.Y.:Cornell Univ. Press, 2009. 272pp. $35Gregory D. Koblentz, the deputy direc-tor of the Biodefense Graduate Programand assistant professor of governmentand politics at George Mason Univer-sity, has written an outstanding analysisof one of the most significant nationalsecurity challenges of the modern era.The author devotes five crisp chapters,written in easily understandable terms,to the complexities of the potential useof biologicals in modern warfare.He describes the national security im-plications of the potential use of biolog-ical weapons by state actors as well asthose with no state affiliation. One ofthe areas Koblentz addresses, in neces-sary detail, is the existence of many bar-riers to preventing proliferation ofbiological weapons by states, nonstateactors, and terrorists.Koblentz uses case studies to review thebiological warfare programs of Iraq,Russia, and South Africa, speculatingon the strategic assessment of the risksand benefits each country may haveconsidered in determining whether toproceed with the development of theseoffensive weapons. With each examplethe reader is able to understand betterthe nature of the biological threat andhow truly difficult it is to control such aweapon once in an aggressor’s hands.The United States has the most power-ful military force of modern times butis having a most challenging time de-feating an asymmetric adversary in Af-ghanistan. When one considers thepotential of a lesser state actor or a ter-rorist group to develop and use biologi-cal weapons against a militarily superiorforce, one is forced to ask when the useof this weapon will occur, not if. AsKoblentz astutely points out, “Biologi-cal weapons were the first weapon pro-hibited by an international treaty, yetthe proliferation of these weapons in-creased after they were banned.”This book is a must-read not only forthe professional military officer, diplo-mat, and politician but for the averagecitizen as well. It is for anyone whowishes to gain a better understanding ofthe current biological weapon threatand is interested in or responsible forprotecting the nation’s vital interests.ALBERT J. SHIMKUS, JR.Naval War CollegePotholm, Christian P. Winning at War: SevenKeys to Military Victory throughout History.Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010.304pp. $39.95Winning at War is the product of overforty years of academic inquiry into thenature of war by Christian Potholm, aprofessor of government at BowdoinCollege. He proposes that throughouthistory there have been seven keys to1 5 0 N A V A L W A R C O L L E G E R E V I E WNWC_Review_Spring2011.ps\\data1\john.lanzieri.ctr$\msdata\Desktop\NavalWarCollege\NWC_Review_Spring2011\NWC_Review_Spring2011.vpMonday, February 14, 2011 4:09:15 PMColor profile: DisabledComposite  Default screen1Shimkus and Koblentz: Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International SecurityPublished by U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons, 2011

Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International Security

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Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International Security

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