The Space Review: America's new ray guns

Few issues in military technology have been subject to as much confusion, disinformation, and ignorance as the subject of lasers and other directed energy weapons. To ordinary Americans, the whole idea of beam weapons seems more like science fiction.

In fact, according to a new book by Doug Beason, The E Bomb: How America’s New Directed Energy Weapons Will Change The Way Future Wars Are Fought, published by Da Capo Press, such weapons are on the verge of being deployed (or, according to some sources, already have been.)