Toxic: A History of Nerve Agents, from Nazi Germany to Putin's Russia

Description

Nerve agents are the world's deadliest means of chemical warfare. Nazi Germany developed the first military-grade nerve agents and massive industry for their manufacture--yet, strangely, the Third Reich never used them. At the end of the Second World War, the Allies were stunned to discover this advanced and extensive programme. The Soviets and Western powers embarked on a new arms race, amassing huge chemical arsenals. From their Nazi invention to the 2018 Novichok attack in Britain, Dan Kaszeta uncovers nerve agents' gradual spread across the world, despite international arms control efforts. They've been deployed in the Iran-Iraq War, by terrorists in Japan, in the Syrian Civil War, and by assassins in Malaysia and Salisbury--always with bitter consequences. Toxic recounts the grisly history of these weapons of mass destruction: a deadly suite of invisible, odourless killers. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Contents Foreword Preface and Acknowledgements Prologue 1. Axis of Weevils 2. Otto’s Fortunes 3. The End 4. Dustbins and Paperclips 5. Mites 6. Rocks and Shoals 7. Cribbing From the Wrong Notebook 8. Coming Off the Rails 9. Binary Decisions 10. The Newcomers 11. Wars in Iraq and Iran 12. The Tokyo Attack 13. The Psychological Effects of Nerve Agents 14. The Syrian War 15. Assassinations Conclusion Appendix 1: Technical Vignettes Appendix 2: The Rest of the World Notes Select Bibliography Index