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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
Probably the most depressing book I’ve ever read. As someone from a staunchly anti-nuclear country, I’m forever completely aghast that nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants even exist. Only slight complaint is the book repeated itself a little sometimes
challenging
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
the horrors persist!
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Utterly depressing and terrifyingly plausible.
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
I powered through Nuclear War in one sitting, completely swept along in the pulpy thriller/disaster film energy. Aside from the american bias, I'd say I really enjoyed it. The backmatter is suitably meaty with lots of notes and references so I trusted that it was well referenced. Then I went for a walk, actually thought about it and the bottom of the book completely fell out from under it.
First, the scenario presented makes zero sense. North Korea goes absolutely nuts and suicidally attacks the US out of the blue. Sure, I'll go with it. Then they launch three ICBMs. Some quick research tells me that NK has roughly 50 nukes. If it were to be a blaze of glory as presented, why would they not launch all of them? When the US retaliates, Russia completely ignores diplomatic overtures and Putin, out of paranoia decides to unload everything into the US and Europe. The americans struggle with the morality of it all and then decide to respond in kind. It's 2025. The US remaining the lone superpower attempting to behave rationally is so unrealistic as to be absurd.
Then there's everywhere else. UK and France get namechecked, yet I don't think the word 'Africa' is used once. How is the southern hemisphere affected by the exchange? Words are spent on evocative descriptions of the flesh burning away from animals in Washingon Zoo but we can't consider what's happening in India, China or Pakistan?
The more I looked, the more it crumbled. Jacobsen repeatedly refers to the phrase "Après moi, le déluge", attributing it to a power-mad Napoleon . Google tells me that it's actually a quote from Louis XV. This is such a stupid detail to get wrong said with such confidence that it's hard to take all the bits I don't already know something about at face value.
If Nuclear War was presented as a work of fiction, I'd still really enjoy it. Jacobsen's descriptions of the actual nuclear detonations are wonderfully/grotesquely (delete as appropriate) vivd. But it's not and ultimately I can't tell where the speculation bleeds into the superlative.
First, the scenario presented makes zero sense. North Korea goes absolutely nuts and suicidally attacks the US out of the blue. Sure, I'll go with it. Then they launch three ICBMs. Some quick research tells me that NK has roughly 50 nukes. If it were to be a blaze of glory as presented, why would they not launch all of them? When the US retaliates, Russia completely ignores diplomatic overtures and Putin, out of paranoia decides to unload everything into the US and Europe. The americans struggle with the morality of it all and then decide to respond in kind. It's 2025. The US remaining the lone superpower attempting to behave rationally is so unrealistic as to be absurd.
Then there's everywhere else. UK and France get namechecked, yet I don't think the word 'Africa' is used once. How is the southern hemisphere affected by the exchange? Words are spent on evocative descriptions of the flesh burning away from animals in Washingon Zoo but we can't consider what's happening in India, China or Pakistan?
The more I looked, the more it crumbled. Jacobsen repeatedly refers to the phrase "Après moi, le déluge", attributing it to a power-mad Napoleon . Google tells me that it's actually a quote from Louis XV. This is such a stupid detail to get wrong said with such confidence that it's hard to take all the bits I don't already know something about at face value.
If Nuclear War was presented as a work of fiction, I'd still really enjoy it. Jacobsen's descriptions of the actual nuclear detonations are wonderfully/grotesquely (delete as appropriate) vivd. But it's not and ultimately I can't tell where the speculation bleeds into the superlative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, War