Why are there so few nuclear weapon states?

New York Times : Two new books by three atomic insiders hold out hope that nuclear proliferation will occur slowly and few countries if any will join the nuclear weapons club, assuming that determined global action and vigilance at the international level occurs. The books are " The Nuclear Express: A Political History of the Bomb and its Proliferation ” by Thomas C. Reed and and Danny B. Stillman, and " The Bomb: A New History ” by Stephen M. Younger. The authors shatter myths, throw light on the hidden dynamics of nuclear proliferation and suggest new ways to reduce the threat says New York Times editor William J. Broad.

Neither book endorses J. Robert Oppenheimer’s view that bombs are relatively easy to make. Both document national paths to acquiring nuclear weapons that have been rocky and dependent on the willingness of spies and politicians to divulge state secret

Thomas C. Reed wrote for Physics Today in September that includes some material from his book.

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