Try an audiobook on us
Atomic Accidents
People who bought this also bought...
-
Atomic Adventures
- Secret Islands, Forgotten N-Rays, and Isotopic Murder - A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Science
- By: James Mahaffey
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 68
Whether you are a scientist or a poet, pro-nuclear energy or staunch opponent, conspiracy theorist or pragmatist, James Mahaffey's books have served to open up the world of nuclear science like never before. With clear explanations of some of the most complex scientific endeavors in history, Mahaffey's new book looks back at the atom's wild, secretive past and then toward its potentially bright future.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic read for those studying physics
- By Angus on 07-12-18
-
Chernobyl 01:23:40
- The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster
- By: Andrew Leatherbarrow
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 98
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
At 01:23:40 on April 26th 1986, Alexander Akimov pressed the emergency shutdown button at Chernobyl's fourth nuclear reactor. It was an act that forced the permanent evacuation of a city, killed thousands, and crippled the Soviet Union. The event spawned decades of conflicting, exaggerated, and inaccurate stories.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting story
- By Chanatron78 on 11-08-17
-
Atomic Awakening
- A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power
- By: James Mahaffey
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 64
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
The American public's introduction to nuclear technology was manifested in destruction and death. With Hiroshima and the Cold War still ringing in our ears, our perception of all things nuclear is seen through the lens of weapons development. Nuclear power is full of mind-bending theories, deep secrets, and the misdirection of public consciousness - some deliberate, some accidental. The result of this fixation on bombs and fallout is that the development of a non-polluting, renewable energy source stands frozen in time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Futuristic, tense, stranger than fiction history!
- By Jim Vaughan on 20-11-13
-
Chernobyl
- History of a Tragedy
- By: Serhii Plokhy
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
On the morning of 26 April 1986, Europe witnessed the worst nuclear disaster in history: the explosion of a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Soviet Ukraine. The outburst put the world on the brink of nuclear annihilation. In the end, less than 5 percent of the reactor's fuel escaped, but that was enough to contaminate over half of Europe with radioactive fallout. In Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy re-creates these events in all of their drama, telling the stories of the firefighters, scientists, engineers, workers, soldiers and policemen who found themselves caught in a nuclear Armageddon....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating
- By C Vernon on 07-02-19
-
Blind Man's Bluff
- The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage
- By: Sherry Sontag, Christopher Drew
- Narrated by: George Wilson
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
No espionage missions have been kept more secret than those involving American submarines. Now, Blind Man's Bluff shows for the first time how the navy sent submarines wired with self-destruct charges into the heart of Soviet seas to tap crucial underwater telephone cables. It unveils how the navy's own negligence might have been responsible for the loss of the USS Scorpion, a submarine that disappeared, all hands lost, 30 years ago.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic
- By Jonjoe Mawson-Walton on 27-02-18
-
Command and Control
- By: Eric Schlosser
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 20 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 490
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 461
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 460
A ground-breaking account of accidents, near-misses, extraordinary heroism, and technological breakthroughs, Command and Control explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn of the nuclear age: how do you deploy weapons of mass destruction without being destroyed by them? Schlosser reveals that this question has never been resolved, and while other headlines dominate the news, nuclear weapons still pose a grave risk to mankind.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping and insightful
- By Kate on 13-11-13
-
Atomic Adventures
- Secret Islands, Forgotten N-Rays, and Isotopic Murder - A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Science
- By: James Mahaffey
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 68
Whether you are a scientist or a poet, pro-nuclear energy or staunch opponent, conspiracy theorist or pragmatist, James Mahaffey's books have served to open up the world of nuclear science like never before. With clear explanations of some of the most complex scientific endeavors in history, Mahaffey's new book looks back at the atom's wild, secretive past and then toward its potentially bright future.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic read for those studying physics
- By Angus on 07-12-18
-
Chernobyl 01:23:40
- The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster
- By: Andrew Leatherbarrow
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 98
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
At 01:23:40 on April 26th 1986, Alexander Akimov pressed the emergency shutdown button at Chernobyl's fourth nuclear reactor. It was an act that forced the permanent evacuation of a city, killed thousands, and crippled the Soviet Union. The event spawned decades of conflicting, exaggerated, and inaccurate stories.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting story
- By Chanatron78 on 11-08-17
-
Atomic Awakening
- A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power
- By: James Mahaffey
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 64
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
The American public's introduction to nuclear technology was manifested in destruction and death. With Hiroshima and the Cold War still ringing in our ears, our perception of all things nuclear is seen through the lens of weapons development. Nuclear power is full of mind-bending theories, deep secrets, and the misdirection of public consciousness - some deliberate, some accidental. The result of this fixation on bombs and fallout is that the development of a non-polluting, renewable energy source stands frozen in time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Futuristic, tense, stranger than fiction history!
- By Jim Vaughan on 20-11-13
-
Chernobyl
- History of a Tragedy
- By: Serhii Plokhy
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
On the morning of 26 April 1986, Europe witnessed the worst nuclear disaster in history: the explosion of a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Soviet Ukraine. The outburst put the world on the brink of nuclear annihilation. In the end, less than 5 percent of the reactor's fuel escaped, but that was enough to contaminate over half of Europe with radioactive fallout. In Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy re-creates these events in all of their drama, telling the stories of the firefighters, scientists, engineers, workers, soldiers and policemen who found themselves caught in a nuclear Armageddon....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating
- By C Vernon on 07-02-19
-
Blind Man's Bluff
- The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage
- By: Sherry Sontag, Christopher Drew
- Narrated by: George Wilson
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
No espionage missions have been kept more secret than those involving American submarines. Now, Blind Man's Bluff shows for the first time how the navy sent submarines wired with self-destruct charges into the heart of Soviet seas to tap crucial underwater telephone cables. It unveils how the navy's own negligence might have been responsible for the loss of the USS Scorpion, a submarine that disappeared, all hands lost, 30 years ago.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic
- By Jonjoe Mawson-Walton on 27-02-18
-
Command and Control
- By: Eric Schlosser
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 20 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 490
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 461
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 460
A ground-breaking account of accidents, near-misses, extraordinary heroism, and technological breakthroughs, Command and Control explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn of the nuclear age: how do you deploy weapons of mass destruction without being destroyed by them? Schlosser reveals that this question has never been resolved, and while other headlines dominate the news, nuclear weapons still pose a grave risk to mankind.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping and insightful
- By Kate on 13-11-13
-
Fukushima: The Story of a Nuclear Disaster
- By: Edwin Lyman, Susan Stranahan, David Lochbaum, and others
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 15
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake large enough to knock the earth from its axis sent a massive tsunami speeding toward the Japanese coast and the aging and vulnerable Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power reactors. Over the following weeks, the world watched in horror as a natural disaster became a man-made catastrophe: fail-safes failed, cooling systems shut down, nuclear rods melted.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fukushima inspired political discussion
- By Robert on 19-02-17
-
The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth and Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine
- By: Thomas Morris
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley, Thomas Morris
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14
Blending fascinating history with lacerating wit, The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth will take you on a tour of some of the funniest, strangest and most wince-inducing corners of medical history. This fascinating collection of historical curiosities explores some of the strangest cases that have perplexed doctors across the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinatingly gory!
- By Jmac on 14-11-18
-
The Dead Hand
- The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy
- By: David E. Hoffman
- Narrated by: Bob Walter
- Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 88
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 88
During the Cold War, world superpowers amassed nuclear arsenals containing the explosive power of one million Hiroshimas. The Soviet Union secretly plotted to create the "Dead Hand," a system designed to launch an automatic retaliatory nuclear strike on the United States, and developed a fearsome biological warfare machine. President Ronald Reagan, hoping to awe the Soviets into submission, pushed hard for the creation of space-based missile defenses.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping story of the cold war arms race
- By Matthew on 19-08-14
-
The Doomsday Machine
- By: Daniel Ellsberg
- Narrated by: Steven Cooper
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
The Doomsday Machine is Ellsberg's hair-raising insider's account of the most dangerous arms buildup in the history of civilization, whose legacy - and renewal under the Obama administration - threatens the very survival of humanity. It is scarcely possible to estimate the true dangers of our present nuclear policies without penetrating the secret realities of the nuclear strategy of the late Eisenhower and early Kennedy years, when Ellsberg had high-level access to them.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting book - hideous audiobook!
- By Thad Beumont on 24-01-18
-
Rocket Men
- The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon
- By: Robert Kurson
- Narrated by: Ray Porter, Robert Kurson
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 62
By August 1968, the American space program was in danger of failing in its two most important objectives: to land a man on the moon by President Kennedy's end-of-decade deadline and to triumph over the Soviets in space. With its back against the wall, NASA made an almost unimaginable leap: It would scrap its usual methodical approach and risk everything on a sudden launch, sending the first men in history to the moon - in just four months.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best Apollo book I've listened to
- By Angus Fitton on 09-08-18
-
Into the Black
- By: Rowland White
- Narrated by: Eric Meyers
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 169
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 159
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 157
On 12th April 1981 a revolutionary new spacecraft blasted off from Florida on her maiden flight. NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia was the most advanced flying machine ever built - the high watermark of post-war aviation development. A direct descendant of the record-breaking X-planes the likes of which Chuck Yeager had tested in the skies over the Mojave Desert, Columbia was a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, capable of flying to space and back before being made ready to fly again.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant insight into a fantastic flying machine.
- By Helen on 18-05-16
-
A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts
- By: Andrew Chaikin
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 23 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 296
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 283
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 282
Audie Award, History/Biography, 2016. On the night of July 20, 1969, our world changed forever when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Based on in-depth interviews with 23 of the 24 moon voyagers, as well as those who struggled to get the program moving, A Man on the Moon conveys every aspect of the Apollo missions with breathtaking immediacy and stunning detail.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The best one so far...
- By Sam on 30-01-17
-
One Minute to Midnight
- Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War
- By: Michael Dobbs
- Narrated by: Bob Walter
- Length: 16 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 93
In October 1962, at the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union appeared to be sliding inexorably toward a nuclear conflict over the placement of missiles in Cuba. Veteran Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs has pored over previously untapped American, Soviet, and Cuban sources to produce the most authoritative book yet on the Cuban missile crisis.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Armageddon averted by pure dumb luck?
- By I. A. Clark on 09-01-14
-
The Cold War
- A World History
- By: Odd Arne Westad
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 25 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 235
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 213
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 213
As Germany and then Japan surrendered in 1945, there was a tremendous hope that a new and much better world could be created from the moral and physical ruins of the conflict. Instead, the combination of the huge power of the USA and USSR and the near-total collapse of most of their rivals created a unique, grim new environment: the Cold War. For over 40 years the demands of the Cold War shaped the life of almost all of us. There was no part of the world where East and West did not ultimately demand a blind and absolute allegiance.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the best books I've ever read
- By Anonymous User on 01-11-18
-
Exactly
- How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 56
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 56
Best-selling author Simon Winchester writes a magnificent history of the pioneering engineers who developed precision machinery to allow us to see as far as the moon and as close as the Higgs boson. Precision is the key to everything. It is an integral, unchallenged and essential component of our modern social, mercantile, scientific, mechanical and intellectual landscapes. The items we value in our daily lives - a camera, a phone, a computer, a bicycle, a car, a dishwasher perhaps - all sport components that fit together with precision and operate with near perfection....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A beautiful and empathetic clarity of expression
- By Alistair Kelman on 12-06-18
-
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
- How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake
- By: Steven Novella
- Narrated by: Steven Novella
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 68
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is your guide through this maze of modern life. It covers essential critical thinking skills as well as giving insight into how your brain works and how to avoid common pitfalls in thinking. They discuss the difference between science and pseudoscience, how to recognise common science news tropes, how to discuss conspiracy theories with that crazy colleague of yours and how to apply all of this to everyday life. As fascinating as it is entertaining, this enthralling audiobook is your essential guide to seeing through the fake news and media manipulation in our increasingly confusing world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The perfect summary of the scientific and how to address the pseudoscientific
- By Mr. M. Johnson on 02-01-19
-
1983
- The World at the Brink
- By: Taylor Downing
- Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
1983 was a supremely dangerous year - even more dangerous than 1962, the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the US, President Reagan massively increased defence spending, described the Soviet Union as an 'evil empire' and announced his 'Star Wars' programme, calling for a shield in space to defend the US from incoming missiles. Yuri Andropov, the paranoid Soviet leader, saw all this as signs of American aggression and convinced himself that the US really meant to attack the Soviet Union. He put the KGB on alert to look for signs of an imminent nuclear attack.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Enthralling but let down by narration
- By Oliver Moor on 08-10-18
Summary
From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters.
Mahaffey, a long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy, looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns.
Every incident has lead to new facets in understanding about the mighty atom - and Mahaffey puts forth what the future should be for this final frontier of science that still holds so much promise.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
More from the same
What members say
Average customer ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars86
-
4 Stars49
-
3 Stars5
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars1
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars77
-
4 Stars40
-
3 Stars13
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars1
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars86
-
4 Stars35
-
3 Stars10
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars1
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Thermonuclear
- 17-05-18
Superb
I very much enjoyed this book. I think anyone with an interest in all things nuclear would enjoy it.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- M. Sayers
- UK
- 20-02-15
Disasters made fun
I really enjoyed this well researched journey through nuclear history, and how despite all the best intentions failures have occurred. The last chapter on the future of nuclear power was very enlightening. A heavy engineering subject made light with appropriate humour.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Y. Syed
- 16-02-15
Educate yourself about Nuclear Power
Irrational fear appears to drive much of thinking and politics that surround the viability of Nuclear Power.
This book goes a long way toward educating and increasing clarity around the issue.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Thomas
- 05-02-15
Not Quite The Bomb
I enjoyed this book for the most part (including the stellar narration) but the repeated discussion of which fissile material decays into which, or the technical schematics of a nuclear powerplant does not lend itself well to the aural form.
I'd like to recommend Atomic Accidents, but due to the inherent setbacks of the medium I could not do so wholeheartedly.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Atay
- 30-11-14
such a great book.
What made the experience of listening to Atomic Accidents the most enjoyable?
Tom Weiner writes about nuclear power and its history and evolution with such clarity. He writes in such a way that is easy to understand but with dumbing the topic down.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Atomic Accidents?
Basically the opening section about the steam engine collisions and the flocks of people who came to see them, and how far we have come since then but yet at the heart of nuclear power we still rely on steam.
What does Tom Weiner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
As I said above , just how clearly he approaches the subject and how easy he makes it sound without dumbing it down.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
"The new clear age"
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Antony
- Reading, United Kingdom
- 17-06-14
Well researched and entertaining
What did you like most about Atomic Accidents?
Well researched facts explained in an entertaining narrative
What did you like best about this story?
The story struck a balance between highlighting the risks and mistakes but also pointing out the benefits of nuclear power and ending with considerable reason for hope in the future
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The scene that covered the thorium LFTR and MSRE technologies
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Think twice before you eat that banana!
Any additional comments?
Complex science explained in an accessible way without dumbing down. Also very entertaining and at the same time well balanced. Explains what everyone should be worried about and what everyone should waste no more time worrying about.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 18-09-18
Brilliant, lots of history in here
Really enjoyed this, I work in the industry would recommend to anyone as a reminder of what can happen. Very educational and informative.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- P Foster
- 29-07-18
Narrator should check on his pronunciation
Narrator should check on his pronunciation of the names of elements. Otherwise a good and interesting book
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. S. R. Mckenzie
- West Midlands, UK
- 19-06-18
Americanism
I found the topic fascinating and the level of detail was just right so as to retain your interest but not bamboozle.
My biggest issue was the American pronunciation of words and I found it impossible to look over this. Unfortunately the word aluminium was used regularly and drove me mad!!!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- D. Marsh
- England
- 29-04-18
Well narrated and informative
it interested me all the way through and gave me a new understanding of reactor design and methods of operation.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- CHET YARBROUGH
- 05-01-15
A NUCLEAR POINT OF VIEW
Listening to James Mahaffey’s "Atomic Accidents", the first thing that comes to mind is point-of-view, second is author’s qualification, and third is writing ability.
Doctor James Mahaffey’s professional career is founded on the nuclear industry. Educated at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Mahaffey holds a bachelor’s degree in physics, a master’s in science, and a doctoral in nuclear engineering. Mahaffey is well versed in the science, engineering, and mechanics of nuclear energy. Because of education, one presumes Mahaffey is a proponent of the nuclear power industry. After dissection of several atomic accidents, a listener becomes unsure of Mahaffey’s point of view. By the end, his point of view is clear. Mahaffey’s book is historically fascinating, and enlightening. Happily, Mahaffey writes well with erudite understanding and little obfuscating jargon.
Mahaffey explains that radiation is a naturally occurring phenomenon. He argues that shutting nuclear waste disposal facility like Yucca Mountain in Nevada is a mistake. Mahaffey’s point of view is that nuclear power generation accidents will happen but their consequences can be minimized with smaller plants and better planning for treatment of victims when accidents occur. He believes nuclear energy benefits far out way their risks.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matt
- 19-03-14
Fantastic balance of scientific + storytelling
Where does Atomic Accidents rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Very highly.
What other book might you compare Atomic Accidents to and why?
"Command and Control". More about nuclear weapons and specifically an incident at a missile silo in Arkansas.
Which scene was your favorite?
I enjoyed the several scenes describing the internal working of nuclear power plants and the details of accidents that occurred in them.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barbara
- 27-04-14
Interesting book
I'm enjoying this book. It's giving a lot of detail on accidents beyond the oft-explained "tickling the dragon." There's one glaring problem that's like fingernails on a blackboard. Blackstone Audio apparently can't be bothered with making sure their narrators know how to pronounce slightly technical terms. The narrator is good except he's said "trih shum" (instead of tritium) more times than I can count. He also says "regent" instead of reAgent. My recommendation is to grit your teeth through these because otherwise the book is quite good.
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Glen
- 17-06-14
My favorite book....so far
Where does Atomic Accidents rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book. I have listened to it twice in the past 3 months and I expect I will listen to it again soon. The subject matter was surprising, informative, technical enough to be interesting and yet completely understandable to a lay person. I think Mr. Mahaffey's writing style suits my tastes in that it was casual, humorous and still on point and relevant. A++
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Scott
- 18-04-14
Adventures in radioactivity
If you could sum up Atomic Accidents in three words, what would they be?
Man's nuclear follies
What did you like best about this story?
For history and science buffs, a good history not only of nuclear power but also the naïveté, creativity and hubris of man's relationship with all things nuclear. Underlying every accident is a system designed to avoid it, someone's attempt to circumvent the system, and the complex interaction between the two. Fascinating stuff, with enough technical details to interest the science buffs and a connect the dots narrative to keep the history buffs glued. I found it all very fascinating and it was a definite plus that the narrative is told with the odd bit of sarcastic humour in it. My only criticism was that the three most infamous accidents: Three mile island, Chernobyl, and Fukishima, are given a comparatively short treatment compared to the rest of the book.
What does Tom Weiner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Well read.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Probably not. There is a fair bit of technical detail that would leave most readers head's spinning to get through this all in one reading.
Any additional comments?
The author has a background working in the nuclear industry which is a definite plus.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jim In Texas!
- 27-06-14
Fascinating Stories, Easily Digested Numbers
What made the experience of listening to Atomic Accidents the most enjoyable?
Mahaffey does one of the best jobs of combining hard science, complete with numbers, with fascinating human stories I've ever heard.
This isn't a text book, it's a smart funny guy who happens to be a subject matter expert telling you history in a very human way.
The first accident in the book is literally a train wreck, and each subsequent story of nuclear errors, accidents, and disasters have a 'can't take your ears off of this train wreck' quality.
What other book might you compare Atomic Accidents to and why?
This is sort of like 'Cosmos' for nuclear power production history.
Or it least it would be if Carl Sagan or Niel Tyson had senses of humor and didn't talk down to the audience.
Which character – as performed by Tom Weiner – was your favorite?
The book is written in the first person, so there is only one character.
Weiner does a great job reading this book, with the glaring exception of pronouncing the word 'Tritium'. For some reason he pronounces 'trit-E-um' as 'trisham'! I actually had to stop the audio and go to the web to double check that there wasn't really an element called 'trisham'!
I don't blame Weiner for this, I blame Blackstone's producer for not catching this glaring error.
I've been listening to audio books since the late 70s, and I've alway found Blackstone readings to have inferior production values. I will say that the production quality in this book is much better than past Blackstone recordings, but they still have work to do match the quality of studios like Recorded Books LLC.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I would have if I could have.
Any additional comments?
This is not a partisan rant, the history of nuclear power, good and bad, is related with emphasis on the 'bad'.
After telling you the 'bad' Mahaffey provides the hard facts and numbers to help readers keep a sense of perspective when thinking about future energy alternatives for the U.S. and the world.
Highly recommended.
22 of 25 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Charles T.
- 21-08-14
Hard to put down; great insights and stories
Would you listen to Atomic Accidents again? Why?
Mahaffey has a remarkable talent for describing very complex situations without being boring or verbose. He's clearly a master of the subject matter with a wickedly droll sense of humor to boot. This is one of the best Audibles I've had in the last year. It's also extremely informative.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Atomic Accidents?
The mysterious "problem" in Russia in 1957 is a great story, very well told. It's almost hilarious at a distance of 50+ years and several thousand miles. A separate high point is the Three Mile Island description. Having lived through the TMI news coverage at the time, it was nice to finally get a coherent, concise depiction of what happened -- and what did not happen.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jason
- 06-06-14
Great Book and Story Teller
What did you love best about Atomic Accidents?
The story Telling, the author manages to keep it understandable and funny at the sametime with his sarcastic undertones.
Who was your favorite character and why?
N/A
Which character – as performed by Tom Weiner – was your favorite?
N/A
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It did make me laugh at times, but it really opens your eyes to nuclear power. I was amazed at all the experiments that have occurred since we discovered it.
Any additional comments?
This is a page turner, even the opening was great. There is a lot of good information in this book, especially the human performance aspect, there a lot of great examples of human errors that could be used in safety meetings, which I have done. I have even googled much of the reported disasters in this book to get more information. I am normally a fiction reader, who likes end of world types of books, but this non-fiction book gives you the same flavor and keeps you interested.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- James
- 20-10-15
Great for any fan of science.
Impeccably researched and extremely informative.
The narration is clear and consistent, fitting the writing style perfectly.
A fantastic history lesson in 20th century science.
Atomic Accidents spans pre-nuclear steam explosions to dangerous X-ray exposures right up to Chernobyl and Fukushima.
After reading this book twice, I feel optimistic about the future of nuclear power.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Richard
- 21-05-14
Unclear Nuclear Made Clear.
Would you listen to Atomic Accidents again? Why?
Absolutely worth a few listens. The information density is well blended with an easygoing narrative style that engages the listener throughout the entire book.
What did you like best about this story?
Chapter eight: the Strategic Air Command years, with all the near misses that we somehow lived through.
What does Tom Weiner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Fluent vocal style, never distractive. This guy has it down cold.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No laughing matter this. More outcome information on the Fukushima disaster would be helpful.
Any additional comments?
It was an enlightening shift away from the mass media induced anti-nuclear coma we've all been stuck in for decades. I have always been hard pitched against nuclear energy and its uses against humanity, and I'm likely to stay that way.However, this book helps demystify some of the beliefs about the atomic age I've come to own as sort of a mindless religion. For me at least, this book has offered me a good start on basing my beliefs on evidence, not media hyperbole.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful