Nuclear War

A Scenario

De: Annie Jacobsen

Narrado por: Annie Jacobsen

The INSTANT New York Times bestseller

Instant Los Angeles Times bestseller

One of NPR's Books We Love

One of Newsweek Staffers' Favorite Books of the Year

Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize

“In Nuclear War: A Scenario, Annie Jacobsen gives us a vivid picture of what could happen if our nuclear guardians fail…Terrifying.”—Wall Street Journal

There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the triggers for that war would be a nuclear missile inbound toward the United States.

Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These investigations are vital to how we understand the world we really live in—where one nuclear missile will beget one in return, and where the choreography of the world’s end requires massive decisions made on seconds’ notice with information that is only as good as the intelligence we have.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made. Nuclear War: A Scenario examines the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch. It is essential reading, and unlike any other book in its depth and urgency.

©2024 Penguin Audio (P)2024 Annie Jacobsen

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Gripping . . . essential if you want to understand the complex and disturbing details that go into a civilization-destroying decision to drop the Bomb on an enemy. . . . Jacobsen has done her homework. She has spent more than a decade interviewing dozens of experts while mastering the voluminous literature on the subject, some of it declassified only in recent years.”—New York Times Book Review

“Timeless, masterful. . .A stomach-clenching, multi-perspective, ticking-clock, geopolitical thriller. Jacobsen expertly delivers a madman’s portrait of Armageddon, one made all the more impactful by the thought that it could literally occur at any moment. Almost novel-like in its presentation, Nuclear War: A Scenario represents the equivalent of an existential gut punch, a sickening and necessary reminder of how fragile every 21st century convenience becomes in the face of a blinding flash of light and near-instantaneous shockwave. Exhaustively researched and featuring interviews with professionals who truly understand just how close we continue to creep toward thermonuclear annihilation Nuclear War: A Scenario should be required reading for everyone alive today, especially for the politicians and policymakers who literally hold the precarious fate of our species in their hands.”—Forbes

“At once methodical and vivid. In documenting the minutiae of the apocalypse, the writing is redolent of 'Hiroshima', a seminal article by John Hersey published in the New Yorker in 1946.”—The Economist

Stunning, compelling, frightening

One of the most intense books I’ve read in a long, long time.
Though this isn’t non-fiction, it’s well researched and compelling in its adherence to facts, truths, and likely scenarios.

If nothing else, it’s a must read for anyone who wants to consider the futility of believing we are “safe” from the worst of humanity and our ability to ignore reason.

Compelling, frightening, and well done. Thanks to Dan Carlin for highlighting this amazing book.

Awesome listen!

The horrible (in a good way) facts and terrors of what can happen at any moment without nearly anyone on Earth having a say.

Thorough description of how things will happen...

A somewhat depressing explanation of the ticking clock to annihilation of all we know. Us fickle Americans should take note when we go about our daily lives and how things could change so fast.

Different than others on the topic

This is a mix of history, thrill, and one potential future. Must listen. 5 stars

Informative & SCARY

This reads like a fiction book but it could all happen….
Let’s Pray it doesn’t

Terrifying

As a retired aerospace engineer I thought I knew the scenario pretty well, until I read this book. As someone who understands technical systems and what can and eventually does go wrong in almost all complex situations, it makes me appreciate the life that we are currently able to live. Unfortunately the people who need to read this book probably won’t read it; I’m talking about the people who might be able to prevent it from happening. I only saw one flaw in the scenario as presented; I won’t go into detail on it lest I give away the story But the flaw, if corrected, might have influenced decisions that were made. It doesn’t change the main message that people need to hear though.

Wake up call

Scariest book I’ve ever read! I had no idea when I chose this that the author had done so much research. Quite a wake up call. This book is written so that it moves quickly and I couldn’t stop. Learned a lot.

just, wow

This is definitely a must listen/read. This is scarier then Stephen King. I can't stop listening.

Enlightening Sickened

As a late millennial, I had to do research on the feeling and emotions of the cold war since I never lived through it myself. Movies in the 80s and documents that have been declassified is most of my knowledge. What this book does is take all of the feelings and emotions and procedures, puts it into a simple but very realistic story, and emphasizes in detail the fast paced scenario that unfolds. By far the best of all time description on Nuclear War, how it could unfold, and the abscesses of acknowledgement the world is lacking on the subject.

Great scary story

It was a great story using facts that make this scenario alarmingly possible with a psycho leader in power. Kim Jong comes to mind with his imprisoned society...It amazing me that in 2024 those people haven't been freed. The US was instrumental in bringing down the Berlin wall but are hands off to the North Koreans. Seems hypocritical especially with such a terrible man with wicked ideals.

I was annoyed with a lot of the grammatical issues with front loading what I am guessing is the authors Ai created voice. When reading a book it's fine but when listening it sounds weird. Conversationsal speech would be better. She had to quote a ton of people so.I think this made it more apparent and clumsy with AIs often rigid flow.


For example if I was talking to a friend, I would say, the other day John Smith told me yada yada yada yada yada yada. I wouldn't say, yada yada yada yada, John Smith said.

Just a potential improvement with the Ai audio book revolution.