Nuclear War
By Annie Jacobsen
Blurb
Nuclear war begins with a blip on a radar screen.
This is a minute-by-minute account of what comes next.
It has to be read to be believed.
There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war.
Until now, no one outside official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the Pentagon. Second by second and minute by minute, these are the real-life protocols that choreograph the end of civilization as we know it.
Decisions that affect hundreds of millions of lives need to be made within six minutes, based on partial information, in the knowledge that once launched, nothing is capable of halting the destruction.
Based on dozens of new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, been privy to the response plans, and taken responsibility for crucial decisions, this is the only account of what a nuclear exchange would look like.
Nuclear War is at once a compulsive non-fiction thriller and a powerful argument that we must rid ourselves of these world-ending weapons for ever.
Our Review
Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen is not a book you love, it certainly is capable of making a reader feel fear though. This scenario based fiction is based on real-life information and protocols and shows just how little stands between our current situation and a catastophic event.
Nuclear War is intensely researched and thorough in every way, and honestly, this is what makes it such a terrifying read. Normally I like to read books in one sitting as much as possible but this book needed to be read in small chunks, partly because of she sheer amount of research, but also because it would have been a little overwhelming to read all at once.
It seems crazy to me, as it should to anyone, that a handful of world leaders are all that stands between us and total annihilation. What a fragile position we all find ourselves.
The scenario is broken down into minute by minute action and in excruciating detail outlines how in just six minutes a decision has to be made whether to launch or not,
I honestly didn't know what to rate this book. It deserves a five in a lot of ways but because I found the research a little hardgoing at times, and because I can't exactly say I loved it, I have given it 3.5. However, I would recommend it for anyone interested in the subject matter.
Our Final Rating...
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