Book Description

This study lets weapons designers, producers, and testers speak for themselves. They speak about their work during the Vietnam War and about those who criticized them for doing that work. In doing so, the book increases our understanding of professionals and professionalism by examining the social, political, and cultural factors that shape career choices and affect attitudes toward jobs and toward employing organizations. It creates a typology of the high-level engineers and scientists in the industry within an analysis of the overall structure of that industry. Persons involved in or opposed to weapons production (as well as involved in or opposed to other controversial work) will value the difficult-to-find information presented in this book on the effects of the war on weapons industry personnel. The practical conclusions drawn by the author are for "government" but also for universities, research organizations, corporations, and for those opposed to the whole industry.