In Minuteman: A Technical History of the Missile That Defined American Nuclear Warfare, David K. Stumpf demystifies the intercontinental ballistic missile program that was conceived at the end of the Eisenhower administration as a key component of the US nuclear strategy of massive retaliation. Although its nuclear warhead may have lacked power relative to that of the Titan II, the Minuteman more than made up for this in terms of numbers and readiness to launch—making it the ultimate ICBM.
Minuteman offers a fascinating look at the technological breakthroughs necessary to field this weapon system that has served as a powerful component of the strategic nuclear triad for more than half a century. With exacting detail, Stumpf examines the construction of launch and launch control facilities; innovations in solid propellant, lightweight inertial guidance systems, and lightweight reentry vehicle development; and key flight tests and operational flight programs—all while situating the Minuteman program in the context of world events. In doing so, the author reveals how the historic missile has adapted to changing defense strategies—from counterforce to mutually assured destruction to sufficiency.
“The Minuteman was one of the most important weapons of the nuclear age, and the subject of countless arguments and debates in the White House, the Pentagon, and Congress during the Cold War. David K. Stumpf’s comprehensive and engaging history explores all aspects of this weapons system, from its creation and testing to deployment to its partial elimination during arms-control discussions. Even today, buried throughout the American Midwest, hundreds of Minuteman missiles with horrible destructive power sit at the ready, hopefully to never be used.”
—Dwayne Day, policy analyst and space historian
David K. Stumpf is a retired research scientist at the University of Arizona and the author of Titan II: A History of a Cold War Missile Program, Regulus: The Forgotten Weapon, and Growler and Grayback: Two of a Kind.