This book investigates the political conditions and strategic incentives that lead states to abandon nuclear weapons programs. Rupal N. Mehta, a scholar of international security, utilizes a comparative analysis of historical cases to determine why governments choose to reverse their nuclear ambitions. The work argues that domestic political stability and external security guarantees are the primary variables influencing these high-stakes policy shifts.

Experts in international relations identify this work as a rigorous contribution to the study of nuclear proliferation and statecraft. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for those studying the intersection of security policy and international diplomacy.