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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
dark
informative
fast-paced
This was a terrifying read, the minute by minute breakdown of events happening in different parts of the world really hammer home how quickly things could fall apart. Annie Jacobsen puts together her scenario through a mountain of research and is able to craft a compelling piece that kept me on the edge of my seat, no literarily I read this book in 1 day.
In Nuclear War: A Scenario word je als lezer van minuut tot minuut meegenomen in de gevolgen van een nucleaire wereldoorlog en krijg je meer inzicht dan ooit tevoren via interviews met hooggeplaatste overheidsmedewerkers en experts. De dilemma's waar wereldleiders mee worstelen tijdens een hypothetische oorlog zijn fascinerend, terwijl de onzekerheden en zwaktes aan alle kanten simpelweg zorgwekkend voor de hele bevolking zijn. De laatste alinea over Göbekli Tepe was bijzonder intrigerend, vooral door de vraag: wat zou er overblijven van onze samenleving na tienduizenden jaren? Misschien kan ik nu beter wat fictie daarover gaan lezen dan...
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Reading this book at any point in history would be horrifying. Reading it two days after the first 2024 presidential debate is even more maddening.
There are so many details in this book that would drive any thinking, feeling person insane. That it would take just 72 minutes from the launch of one weapon for the apocalypse to occur. That temperatures in the northern hemisphere would drop at least 27 degrees F in nuclear winter, and the ozone layer would be ruined, thus pushing any surviving human life back to a hunter/ gatherer state. That radiation sickness essentially turns the insides of bodies into soup. That even without a nuclear war, any nuclear armed nation could easily take out America’s power grid, causing catastrophic damage without any further bombs.
But for me, one of the most devastating details is the trillions and trillions of dollars that have been spent building up, maintaining, and (sometimes) dismantling nuclear weapons. What might society look like today if that money had been spent elsewhere?
We are such fragile fools. Lord, have mercy.
There are so many details in this book that would drive any thinking, feeling person insane. That it would take just 72 minutes from the launch of one weapon for the apocalypse to occur. That temperatures in the northern hemisphere would drop at least 27 degrees F in nuclear winter, and the ozone layer would be ruined, thus pushing any surviving human life back to a hunter/ gatherer state. That radiation sickness essentially turns the insides of bodies into soup. That even without a nuclear war, any nuclear armed nation could easily take out America’s power grid, causing catastrophic damage without any further bombs.
But for me, one of the most devastating details is the trillions and trillions of dollars that have been spent building up, maintaining, and (sometimes) dismantling nuclear weapons. What might society look like today if that money had been spent elsewhere?
We are such fragile fools. Lord, have mercy.
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Some parts absolutely had me. Some had me questioning if this author really thought through all likely geopolitical scenarios that could lead to nuclear war and ruin. Making North Korea the initial bad guy in this scenario is too easy in my opinion. Not to mention that we get so little from other outside nations on what they would do if a scenario like this came to pass. Talking about the U.S. nuclear protocols absolutely made me shudder; it doesn’t give me much hope for humanity to be honest.
Gotta add this book to my post-apocalyptic play’s dramaturgical materials, though.
Gotta add this book to my post-apocalyptic play’s dramaturgical materials, though.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
A very sobering, timely, and enlightening read. Highly recommended!