Boothby William H. Weapons and the Law of Armed Conflict

Oxford University Press, 2016. — 465 p. — ISBN 978–0–19–872850–4.In recent decades, the treaties relating to weaponry have become increasingly complex. When the use of poison was first forbidden, even a layperson with no pretence of access to the arcana of toxic substances could easily get the drift. But when it comes to blinding lasers or fragments which in the human body escape detection by x-rays, a layman (even if he or she is a professional in law or diplomacy) cannot
be faulted for feeling a distinct inadequacy in coping with the nuances of the injunction.The sense of deficiency is aggravated when newer prohibitions are either initiated (cluster munitions) or even advocated (depleted uranium). There is a palpable need for light to be shed on abstruse points of discourse and controversy. Air Commodore Boothby is particularly placed in a position enabling him to dissect and construe the law of weaponry in a manner that combines a profound theoretical understanding of the law of armed conflict with impressive practical
acquaintance with the weapon systems discussed in the book. His background as a lawyer and as a practitioner makes it possible for him to assess valid data-processed operational knowledge, offering insights that enlighten those who do not have easy familiarity with modern technology.
This volume is likely to become the leading oeuvre on the legality of recourse to weapons in wartime.