"The proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons is one of the most pressing security threats of the 21st century. This book provides an overview of these cheap and easily obtainable weapons, the threat they pose in the wrong hands, and the strategies for reining them in, this Beginner's Guide is required reading for anyone wishing to fully understand one of today's key threats to international peace." --Book Jacket.
Symbol of violence, war and culture -- Spreading weapons of individual destruction -- Costs and consequences -- Stemming the flow of small arms -- Man-portable air defense systems -- the terrorists' delight -- Bleeding the Soviets -- The proliferation and control of MANPADS in the 1990s -- The post-Mombasa scramble -- Epilogue: future challenges of proliferation.