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Nuclear War cover art

Nuclear War

By: Annie Jacobsen
Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
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Summary

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…

A pulse-pounding non-fiction thriller for listeners 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 listener 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
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Nuclear War

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Absolute Clarity

Her earnest vocal delivery and impressive research made it impossible for me to put down. A terrible, sobering encounter with the truth.

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Shockingly Realistic and Plausible!

Could the World end in the next 55 minutes? We would probably not know until the first detonations hit us. This well researched book pulls no punches about the devastation caused by a one megaton bomb, and the hair trigger nature of the escalation that would inevitably follow should a rogue state like N.Korea (who already have nuclear capabilities) decide to launch Armageddon with a single ICBM on, for instance, Washington DC.

The research behind the book is impeccable, the scenario frighteningly possible, and the politics contemporary. It is convincingly narrated in real time as the envisioned situation develops. The book draws substantially on the testimonies of the actual decision makers: politicians, military chiefs, scientists, security services and planners most involved with the business of managing the huge arsenals of weapons of “Mutually Assured Destruction”.

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scary

interesting and eye opening book. sad that there is a real possibility my daughter's generation may not get to see what life has to offer them. I may not get to see her become a women, walk her down the isle abd maybe become a grandad. unfortunately I don't feel that the international war machine will allow nuclear dearmamant. peace in our time, is what we should all hope for.

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Terrifying.

This stays with you . Very hard to get it out of your mind. Its had a profound on me . Just watching the sun rise or rain fall is special. This planet , this life is so precious.

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Well, it seems we’re all doomed.

Amazing, morbid, detailed, dark, realistic, fascinating, and overall great. I’ll be buying more books by Annie for sure but I won’t be listening to this again any time soon!

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Nuclear War-A Senario

Fantastic to read but absolutely awful to lose to as an audio book. I don’t know if this is actually read by the author but the delivery sounds like a bad AI attempt to read it. If it is the author reading she needs to give up immediately and never read a book again because her voice is monotonous and plain awful. Apart from the appalling voice, the story and facts are quite chilling and should scare everyone who has never witnessed actual war.
Get the book, absolutely, but save yourself from the audio only version.

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The sheer waste of life, civilisation and humanity

A sobering listen that I do hope will never come to pass. The sheer madness and waste of war ☮️

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Horrifying - please read or listen!

This is an astounding book which has changed my stance on nuclear weapons. The premise gets over just how dreadful these weapons are. It is an engaging, gripping and terrifying way of dealing with the subject. A must for all politicians and those working in defence or diplomacy. It is obvious how much research has gone into this book and should be commended.

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gripping from start to finish

Great insights into US defense processes broken down into easily digested chunks. The narrators voice might not be to everyone's taste. For me this was a book I couldn't stop listening to, start to finish it was excellent.

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There is no way to stop it once it starts

A fearless account of how humanity could fall into the abyss. A superbly researched and well presented weaving of human and technological failings and decision making that could wipe us all out one day

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