Nuclear War: A Scenario

I received this book yesterday in the mail. I read it in one day. It was so riveting, appalling, enlightening, and I learned information I did not know. I truly couldn't put it down.The beginning scenario is North Korea using 2 weapons on the U.S., which is very plausible. The scenes are tracked minute by minute, in different parts of the country. It is terrifying, and if you are prone easily to nightmares or indigestion, take it in small doses.I do wish the author would follow up with another book on the aftermath of a nuclear war, especially "nuclear winter", which she barely touched on. I think too many people believe life would go back to normal quickly, which is not the case here. It would take decades before that would happen. Nuclear winter would be a life altering event in itself. It would be really good to lay out in stark terms what the earth, and its people would experience. Maybe we'd finally get real about how powerful these weapons really are.If there *was* a nuclear war in the near future, personally, I would hope to be evaporated right away. "The dead would envy the living" is not overstating the suffering that would happen. Although the author didn't talk about it, I think suicide rates would go through the roof immediately after. I don't think anyone wants to live thru the horror of radiation poisoning, or anything that would follow an explosion.I hope this shoots to the top of the bestseller lists, and soon. A wake-up call like this is long overdue in this country. More than that, I hope it moves this country to concrete action. I'm not holding my breath, though.

Annie Jacobsen has become my favorite author in her field. And while she approached this subject a little differently to her other books--it's written almost like a thriller--there's still plenty of insights and little details gleaned from her obviously forensic research. I'll admit I was one of the naive ones who thought if you were far enough away it might be possible to survive. I've been thoroughly disabused of that fantasy. If the military/government bunkers can't guarantee safety, what chance do the rest of us have? So, yes, a scary topic, but a fantastic read. Hopefully it remains a scenario and not a reality.

This is the most terrifying book I have ever read (listened to, actually), and I believe that everyone should read it so as to be informed of what the world is currently facing. As a physicist, I have long been aware of the dangers that nuclear weapons present to the world, but the very realistic scenario that Annie Jacobsen presents brings every horrific and terrifying consequence into crystal clear focus. The book describes the minute-by-minute evolution of a truly apocalyptic, world-ending scenario that begins with a North Korean attack on the United States with a single, one megaton strategic nuclear weapon.If you currently take comfort in the United States' Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and it's purported ability to destroy an incoming nuclear warhead in its "terminal phase descent" toward a target in the USA, Jacobsen will quickly dispel that confidence with a review of actual MDA test data from a number of highly-scripted tests that indicate at best a 50-50 chance of intercept.You will soon realize that the the difficulty of intercepting long-range ballistic missiles pales in comparison to the threat posed by nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed submarines (aka "Handmaidens of the Apocalypse") and their ability to pop-up in the ocean anywhere and at any time and launch a salvo of missiles. As a point of reference, each of the 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines in the US arsenal contains more explosive yield than _all_of the bombs and munitions used in WW2 by all nations - including the two nuclear bombs that destroyed the Japanese cities of HIroshima and Nagasaki. What is even more terrifying is that submarine-launched missiles such as the United States' Trident II can reach their target in as little as 3 minutes, leaving no time to react.If you are looking for some kind of heroic, redemptive act on the part of our government to stop a cascading nuclear exchange once it has begun, you will find no solace from this book. The scenario described by Jacobsen is so detailed and utterly believable that it will leave you unable to sleep at night. The message of the book is clear: Due to the current "launch-on-warning" postures of both the United States, Russia, and other nuclear-capable nations, the use of just _one_ nuclear weapon carries an unacceptably high probability (perhaps close to 100%) of starting a cascading descent into "general nuclear war" with only one possible outcome: complete and total destruction of humanity.

I rarely leave reviews for anything on Amazon, but this book is the exception. Meticulously researched and expertly written, this work takes you through a fast paced, real world scenario that is unimaginably horrifying. I hope I am vaporized if this scenario plays out.

Awesime. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved the book. An extremely realistic portrayal of how the end of the world can happen. Always amazes me how close we are to all dying in basically one hour and so few people even know or care. Scares me a bit that in this book she at least gives our side an intelligent rational President who does their best to make a decision, makes me worried that we don't have that on either side right now honestly. Well done to the author.

The detail of the sequence of decision making is incredible. The President only has 6 minutes to make the call, and I wondered if they could explain to the current occupant where he was in 6 minutes, but I digress. The author does get a bit harsh with the original nuclear war planners and compared them to Nazis because of their desire to kill a large number of people. Remember they were tasked with this and we had just come off of WWII where the Japanese refused to surrender until 2 bombs were used. Those planners were tasked with winning WWIII if it happened, and the preparation for that may have well prevented such a war, at least till now.Regardless of the minor flaws, the book is a page turner.

Well researched and reads like a novel. Terrifying. You realize how fragile our civilization and our very existence on this planet is.

My hands were sweating nonstop. I read the book in one sitting.

In this critical and thought-provoking book, the author presents a stark reminder of the irreversible and finite nature of nuclear war. Through a chilling scenario, the narrative illustrates that in the event of a full-scale nuclear conflict, there are no winners and no nations left to defend. The scenario is hypothetical, but the underlying message is clear: the consequences of nuclear war are catastrophic and would likely signify the end of all things. The book serves as a wake-up call, urging humanity to recognize the precipice before us and to act collectively and wisely to avoid it. It is a must-read for anyone concerned about global security and the future of our planet.

Durchaus wissenschafliche Betrachtung und Diskussion eines theoretischen nuklearen Zerstörungskrieges.Ein Buch das gerade noch zur rechten Zeit erscheint? Man kann nur hoffen

Outstanding and horrifying.The book should be made into a documentary series or film to starkly present the hideous consequences of nuclear war.