Arguing that it is possible to increase both the role of Parliament in defence decision-making and government control of defence resource planning, this book focuses in detail on the management of Britain's defence by Francis Pym, John Nott and Michael Heseltine.

Part 1 Setting the scene 1945 to 1979: defence decisons. Part 2 The decision-making process: democracy and the British constitution; secrecy and defence decision-making; the public accounts committee, the national audit office and the Commons defence select committee; the civil service; Whitehall; threat assessment/defence intelligence; public relations, propaganda and the media. Part 3 Francis Pym - Secretary of State for Defence 1979-1981: financial control and open government; Rayner; Chevaline; Trident C4. Part 5 John Nott - Secretary of State for Defence 1981-1983: financial control and a defence review; Trident C4 to D5; the Falklands War. Part 6 Michael Heseltine - Secretary of State for Defence 1983-1986: management and MINIS; central re-organization; the central components of the MOD after January 1985; Heseltine the publicist - DS19, cruise and Montebello; Westland Helicopters plc. Part 6 Thatcher's defence - Command and Control?. Part 7 Reforms: freedom of information; Parliament - specific Parliamentary reforms; ministerial control.