In an age where anthrax can be produced in a garage and multilateral agreements among nations seem ever harder to reach, the threat of biowarfare could rapidly spiral out of control. In this authoritative guide, international expert Malcolm Dando inspects the evidence rarely made available to the public, providing a comprehensive account of what biological weapons are and their prevalence throughout the world. From the history of biowarfare development programmes to the current state of weapons stockpiles, Dando takes care to include what he believes is necessary to reduce the availability and potency of biological agents in the future. Examining the backdrop of legislative wrangling and failed international agreements, this well-argued work interweaves politics and technology to reveal the reality behind this twenty-first century menace.

Malcolm Dando is Professor of International Security at the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford. He is an elected Fellow of the Institute of Biology and has worked with the British Medical Association, the Ministry of Defence and the United States National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity.