Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself - While the Rest of Us Die

I've not finished this yet, but felt compelled to write a review.I've been looking for a book that covers the political and practical aspects of the cold war. What the thoughts and policies were of the leaders, and how they turned that into preparedness for the horror that could come. I've always been particularly interested in the bunkers. the design, size, how they were equipped etc. This book does all of the above and more.I'm amazed by the sheer collation of data that the writer must have gone through to pull out the meaningful information that he's put in here. He talks about the initial rush and cash injection to get the US prepared for Armageddon, to the 'back-burner' politics of the late 60's and 70's (Vietnam was the priority then). The book goes into detail about costs, conversations and attitudes toward preparedness and continuity of government and what that would really mean for the people of the nation. I'll give you a hint - what's the point of having a government if there's no people left...Really great book, I'd recommend to anyone who's interested in the subject matter or wants to understand the history and possibly attitudes of the American leaders during the Cold War.

Its a good read. The source material the author had to work with was probably quite boring but he has managed to weave a very informative and entertaining story which shows the impact nuclear weapons have had on our modern world. The ability to rain down apocalyptic destruction in a matter of minutes, turning cities into craters and destroying millions of lives is something that no sane person wants to live through and this lies at the heart of this book.

Just a good, solid read about a part of history so close. Scary to see just how simultaneously clueless, ruthless, and strategic these figures were. A good parallel to current events, and a reminder that "this too shall pass".

This great book tells a compelling story about America's attempts to prepare for a nuclear war and its aftermath. It's a good mix of history, military theory, politics, and sociology.

This goes into everything in such depth, it is amazing. I think it is the best thing I've read ever.

Yawn

An excellent book - well written and most informative.

Brilliant read

This book is amazing. I dont read much but I do have to say I enjoyed this book ALOT. The deep story about the Governments plan to pretty much save itself is interesting to learn about, AND there is a TV series that is based on this book that can help drive the concept of how the Gov plans to save itself first. I do recommend this book and it certainly helps inform you of the history of the Gov's plan and why they got to where they are today. Its VERY interesting.

Great Book. Well researched and written.Now...How do I get one of those Red Evac Cards?

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a fascinating look at how the US government plans to continue after nuclear devastation. It details not only the political and administrative processes that need to continue but also the communications structure that needs to remain intact in order to launch military retaliation and communicate with those citizens that may be left.

A great source of information on the era

I've always been fascinated by the U.S. Gov't's COG plans, their bunkers, etc.For those who think there's a grand conspiracy regarding FEMA (other than "temporarily" trashing the Bill of Rights in the aftermath of an emergency), think again. According to this book there was so much confusion among members of Congress, Senators, etc. on the day of 9/11, that half of them just gaggled in huddles in front of the D.C. Police Station! Also, FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina was a case-in-point.This book reminds people that FEMA's primary job isn't civil defense for John Q. Public: It's to keep their own asses safe in their well-stocked bunkers, as they carry-out their gov't functions, as if there will be anything left above ground in the event of a total nuclear war. According to this book, Eisenhower was probably the most realistic when everyone in the military industrial complex that he warned us about came to him with all these ideas for COG back in the '50's.The author states in the last sentence of the book "..., those of us left alive will be very curious to know." I don't think so. After a nuclear exchange, people will either be wishing they were dead, struggling to survive, or defending themselves from everyone else.Since 9/11, the author describes the billions in spending on COG/COOP bunkers, communications, etc. This continued non-stop under Obama. Can you say "absolutely paranoid" about the continued existence of the U.S. Gov't? Under Mr. "Hope and Change" in particular, The U.S. not only maintained it's nuclear stockpile of 5000 warheads, but spent billions on a "modernization program" for nuclear warheads.With the billions spent on COG/COOP just under Obama alone (we have to remember that he was just a continuation of the Bush-Cheney regime, after all), and since Obama had already addressed climate change (as did Clinton), what are they really prepping for at this point? What does the U.S. Gov't. already know regarding climate change, resource depletion (oil, grain stocks, water, etc), ecological collapse, etc (basically everything from the 1972 MIT / Club of Rome Limits to Growth Study - still tracking, BTW)? At this point, just due to rising CO2 and sea levels, we'll be lucky if there's anything resembling a "civilization" by the end of this century.I think all these clowns in their Gov't departments should be more concerned with thickened fuel being poured down their air vents than anything else, in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.