Description: In warfare, civil unrest, and political protest, chemicals have served as means of coercion, suppression, and manipulation. This book examines how chemical agents have been justified, utilised and resisted as means of control.
Brief description: Brian Rappert is Professor of Science, Technology and Public Affairs at the University of Exeter. His long term interest has been the examination of the strategic management of information. More recently he has been interested in the social, ethical, and political issues associated with researching and writing about secrets, as in his book Experimental Secrets (2009) and How to Look Good in a War (2012).
Review Quotes:
"Chemical Bodies gathers notable experts, using case studies across time and space, to examine how chemical agents have been framed as weapons (or not), by whom, for whom, and the political/policy stakes involved. The book is a critical read for academics, intelligence officials, and policymakers who wrestle with how to make sense of chemical and biological threats past and present." --Kathleen Vogel, Associate Professor, School of Public Policy, the University of Maryland
"At a time of intense political scrutiny of chlorine and acid attacks, this book takes a deeper dive into historical framings of the chemical weapons taboo. The contextually rich body of work carefully teases out how chemical agents have been justified and resisted as instruments of control, coercion and warfare across time and space. Its portrayal of the dynamics and shifting notions of normative values makes the book indispensable reading to anyone who holds dear the ban on chemical weapons." --Filippa Lentzos, Senior Research Fellow, Department of War Studies and Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London