Original Sin
Power, Technology and War in Outer Space
Hurst Publishers, UK/Europe
Oxford University Press, US/Global
Bleddyn E. Bowen
An eye-opening account of a world order shaped by spacepower and the threat of space warfare.
Featured on the Royal Air Force Chief of the Air Staff’s 2023 Reading List
Space technology was developed to enhance the killing power of the state. The Moon landings and the launch of the Space Shuttle were mere sideshows, drawing public attention away from the real goal: military and economic control of space as a source of power on Earth.
Today, as Bleddyn E. Bowen vividly recounts, thousands of satellites work silently in the background to provide essential military, intelligence and economic capabilities. No major power can do without them. Beyond Washington, Moscow and Beijing, truly global technologies have evolved, from the ground floor of the nuclear missile revolution to today’s orbital battlefield, shaping the wars to come. World powers including India, Japan and Europe are fully realising the strategic benefits of commanding Earth’s ‘cosmic coastline’, as a stage for war, development and prestige.
Yet, as new contenders spend more and more on outer space, there is scope for cautious optimism about the future of the Space Age—if we can recognise, rather than hide, its original sin.
Order now for UK and EU deliveries with Hurst Publishers
Order now for US + Global deliveries with Oxford University Press USA
Also available at Amazon, Blackwell’s, Waterstones, WHSmiths, Book Depository
Indian edition (English language) available via Amaryllis/Manjul Publishing House.
Reviews
‘Original Sin is a comprehensive and thorough account of the particular “fall” of developing space-related technologies with military uses.’ — Professor Lawrence Freedman, Foreign Affairs
‘A tour de force… What sets Original Sin apart from similar books is the outstanding context it provides and its willingness to challenge trite slogans attached to spacepower. Bowen weaves diverse technical and historic fibers into a concise, coherent, and readable narrative.’ – Parameters, the US Army War College Journal
‘A work from Britain’s leading thinker on astropolitics… Dr Bowen strips away any pretence that space is not already a war-fighting domain.’ — Tim Marshall, bestselling author of The Power of Geography and Prisoners of Geography, and The Future of Geography
‘Bleddyn Bowen proves himself to be… a leading expert on the politics of space.’ — Politique étrangère
‘Exceptional… [a] rich – at times terrifying – look into the ever-evolving militarization of space.’ – Leonard David, author of Moon Rush: The New Space Race
‘Bowen looks beyond recognised space protagonists and works hard to provide a refreshingly global perspective… that offers the astropolitical enthusiast something more’. – RAF Chief of the Air Staff Reading List 2023
‘Fascinating… intriguing’ – Jeff Foust, The Space Review
‘Every page of this book is suffused with unrivalled knowledge of space technology and its implications for international relations.’ — Morning Star
‘People might think… the militarisation of space is new, when it has, in fact, always been that way. [Bowen] wields convincing research to support this… His book is overflowing with examples of quiet military advances in space that happened when everyone else was looking the other way.’ – New Scientist
“Original Sin is an impressive work, [and] should have pride-of-place in the book collections of [US Space Force] Guardian and other military space operators, outer space enthusiasts, and space-minded members of the general public.” – AEther, Department of the Air Force journal
‘Illuminating’ – Astropolitics: The International Journal of Space Politics and Policy
‘Original Sin is an important new book in space studies by Bleddyn Bowen. A must read.’ — Professor Asif Siddiqi, author of Challenge to Apollo: The Soviet Union and the Space Race
‘[Original Sin will] doubtless serve as both a handbook and reference volume (a hitchhiker’s guide?) to the burgeoning field of astropolitics… Bowen takes the reader on a fascinating journey through familiar events in space history… and shines a revelatory light on their political and military realities.’ – Journal of Cyber Policy
‘[Bowen] offers a robust framework for understanding the politics of security on orbit …. [Original Sin is] a timely and welcome contribution to our understanding of space, politics, and security in the modern era.’ — Diplomatic Courier
‘A fresh, timely and detailed account of the military-political origins of spacepower and the future of warfare in space.’ — Deganit Paikowsky, author of The Power of the Space Club
‘Bowen persuasively demonstrates that space technology is the outcome of war, and driven by military applications. By exposing the hidden face of space, this book makes a critical intervention towards a peaceful world.’ — Alice Gorman, author of Dr Space Junk Vs The Universe
‘The perspective on space Bowen brings is meant to–and does–challenge the reader. There is much of value here to chew on, and any serious space power student or practitioner needs to pay careful attention to his arguments.’ — Everett Dolman, author of Astropolitik
‘Just as space security is becoming more urgent, Bleddyn Bowen has delivered a remarkable account of the seventy-year-long militarised Global Space Age. Original Sin’s compelling narrative will be of great interest to scholars of military strategy, Cold War historians, and policymakers.’ — Aaron Bateman, Assistant Professor of History and International Affairs, George Washington University
‘This book sets out to describe how the militarisation of space is not a new policy issue or trend in world politics, but a long-established historical fact and present reality. Original and compelling, this will be of interest to anyone seeking a history of technology’s role in space strategy.’ — John J. Klein, author of Understanding Space Strategy
‘Original Sin makes the valid argument that, far from us existing in a new “space race”, the history of space exploration has always been about power, politics, political economy and the pursuit of national interests on the global stage. A satisfying and insightful read from a deeply knowledgeable expert.’ — Tim Stevens, Senior Lecturer in Global Security and head of the King’s Cyber Security Research Group, King’s College London
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