Nuclear War
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4.5 • 68 Ratings
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Brought to you by Penguin.
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. And it could start in as little as 26 minutes and 40 seconds from now…
An edge-of-your-seat non-fiction thriller for readers of American Prometheus by Kai Bird or Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham.
The first rule of nuclear war is that there are no rules.
Up to now, no one outside of 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 civilisation as we know it.
If a single nuclear missile is launched, it provokes two dozen in return. Frantic calls over secure lines work to confirm the worst as armoured helicopters are scrambled outside. Decisions over hundreds of millions of lives need to be made within six minutes, based on partial information, knowing that once launched, nothing is capable of halting the destruction.
Because the plans for General Nuclear War are among the most classified secrets held by the United States government, this book takes the reader up to the razor’s edge of what can legally be known. Based on dozens of new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, been privy to the response plans, and been responsible for the decisions that will be made, 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.
©2024 Annie Jacobsen (P)2024 Penguin Audio
Customer Reviews
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I did learn a lot with this book, and found it interesting and relatively well written. I have to say the reading was a bit annoying, I found it too dramatic, I’d have preferred more lame reading. Some of the turn of sentences in the book also “promotes” this which annoyed me a bit.
Otherwise this is as detailed as it gets, although it does follow what I would consider a pretty unlikely turn of events, where everything that can fail does fails.
Highly recommend
The book Is a meticulously researched and gripping account of the potential onset and escalation of nuclear conflict. Jacobsen’s narrative offers a minute-by-minute depiction of how such a catastrophe could unfold, drawing from extensive interviews and declassified documents. The book has been praised for its factual depth and accessibility, though some critics note an overblown prose style. Overall, it serves as a compelling and urgent reminder of the importance of nuclear disarmament and vigilant international diplomacy.
Horrifically compelling read/listen & interesting
A nuclear scenario book recommended by James G Rickards (Currency Wars ) in a podcast (that’s how I heard about ) so the next time you miss a plane or are late for work you’ll find out the world could be over in 72 mins . It reminds people of what the world has forgotten about nuclear weapons .Annie Jacobson has a perfect voice for the audiobook ( I drive a lot so mainly listen to audiobooks but will buy the physical book as well to support the author , an interestingly scary book given that this could play out with a mistake .The other books of Annie Jacobsen’s will be on my list soon this book changed how I think on life