Secret Science

Beskrivelse

Secret Science uncovers the hidden history of chemical and biological weapons research carried out by Allied powers, focusing on Britain, the US, and Canada. It reveals the experiences of thousands of servicemen involved in secret trials, some of which had serious consequences.

An in-depth look at the ethical and scientific journey of military chemical and biological warfare research.

Starting from the early 1990s, media reports increasingly exposed how servicemen were unknowingly involved in secret experiments with toxic agents at top-secret Allied research sites throughout the twentieth century. In Britain alone, more than 21,000 soldiers took part in these covert tests between 1939 and 1989. While some recalled their participation as harmless, many endured unpleasant, harmful, and in rare instances, fatal outcomes.

Secret Science traces the development of chemical and biological weapons research by the former Allied powers, particularly Britain, the United States, and Canada. It follows the ethical evolution and culture of military science, beginning with its origins in response to Germany’s use of chemical weapons during World War I. The book also covers ongoing international efforts to outlaw these weapons once and for all.

The book questions whether the Allied-and especially British-warfare trials were ethical, safe, and justified within the standards and values of their time. It sheds light on the complex workings of secret Allied research facilities, where military officials, scientists, and civil servants continuously identified new national security threats. These threats justified the allocation of vast resources to experimental research involving some of the deadliest agents known.

Offering a balanced and thoughtful analysis, Secret Science portrays the servicemen, scientists, and civil servants involved not as powerless victims or unfeeling perpetrators, but as active participants shaping their own roles in history.

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