Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen – Our Review

Our Review… This is the most terrifying book I have ever read.  In horrifying detail Annie Jacobsen describes, minute by minute, the moments following a nuclear missile launch – based on accounts from cabinet members, nuclear weapons engineers, scientists, soldiers, airmen, special intelligence analysts, civil servants, and years of research. In this scenario, it all begins with a 1 megaton thermonuclear bomb headed for the pentagon in Washington DC. A bomb that on impact ignites a flash of light and heat five times hotter than the temperature at the centre of the Sun. This strike on DC initiates the beginnings of an Armageddon-like Nuclear War that will almost certainly follow. Jacobsen highlights the absurdity of this weapon and the fragile checks and balances that stand between us and catastrophe – from the scientists behind its invention, to Missile Defence procedures, and ultimately the terrifying reality of nuclear winter. At times reading like an action thriller, this confronting yet important book serves as a stark reminder of the world we live in. Review by Jess @ Great Escape Books