This book was well-researched and documented. While very realistic I enjoyed all the details the journalist added to help the readers. the history lessons embedded throughout the book helped provide context and establish precedent with the current situation. It also helped that the book was written for the average person who may not have all the background information about nuclear wars or even the scientific knowledge. It was fast read that I think every American should read to really understand the gravity of the nuclear arms situation.

A chilling look into the history and possible future of nuclear war. Read when you’re in the right headspace for a sobering book.

Everything you’ve ever/never wanted to know about nuclear war, or weaponry or protocol as to who runs the nation as every single head official dies within the first hour of engagement. My country can overkill the world more than your country can. What happens to nuclear weapons as they age and deteriorate? Is there any such thing as safe storage for used fuel rods? Annie Jacobsen has done extensive research on everything nuclear for this book, from the very beginning to its inglorious ending, and while deterrence has worked so far, this scenario shows what will happen if this fails, to the end of us all. This is a very enlightening, sobering read that is no more timely than now.

Nuclear War is a harrowing nonfiction book that walks readers through what a hypothetical nuclear war scenario could look like. As you might expect, it's not pretty.

I was immediately drawn into Jacobsen's step by step, minute by minute detailing of what may happen immediately after an ICBM is launched from North Korea and targeted towards the United States. She goes in-depth into each person's role, but the president as Commander in Chief to the Secretary of Defense to those stationed at various military bases and nuclear power plants around the country. Because nuclear war is an international event, she also introduces us to the key players, namely Russia and North Korea, though others are also mentioned, and go in-depth into what we know of their own nuclear abilities, stockpiles, and diplomatic relations. She also goes into plenty of minute by minute detail of what exactly happens when a nuclear bomb is detonated and the science behind how the work, as well as how humans, infrastructure, and plant life in the initial radius are instantly destroyed, while longer term effects such as radiation poisoning continue to wreak havoc long after an initial explosion.

This books is absolutely packed with information on every page, including an abundance of quotes and interviews with prominent figures involved in areas associated with defense, war, and diplomatic relations. Information is also presented in short chapters that discuss both the present hypothetical situation and also dive deeper into the history of nuclear weapons, the current big players involved in the development of nuclear weapons, and a huge variety of other minutiae associated with nuclear weapons including how ICBMs and SLBMs work. Within these chapters, Jacobsen even adds on small targeted history lessons on topics like the Presidential Football here and there to make sure every aspect is covered. Even if you already know a lot about nuclear weapons and war, I'm sure there's still plenty of extra information to come away with.

The only real complaint I have for this book is Annie Jacobsen's somewhat melodramatic way of writing. I'll allow that this is a very dramatic topic so it was fitting and definitely helped hammer home the severity of what she's talking about, but it just felt overdone at times. It was almost to the point that it lost intensity though because I just wanted her to move on rather than continue to reiterate the point. An example (and this is even a smaller one): "Which leaves the boomers. The nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. The handmaidens of the apocalypse. The vessels of death. Unlocatable by Russian missiles and therefore unstoppable. Nuclear-armed to the teeth." (It reminded me a bit of why V.E. Schwab's writing starts to get a bit tiresome for me, as she does something very similar with the short sentences, though of course Nuclear War is nonfiction). There's a definitely a sense that Jacobsen is trying to scare people into understanding the reality of nuclear weapons, which isn't something that I have a problem with, but that may leave you–like me–feeling a bit helpless since there's not much that we can do (at least, as an average citizen, I'm not sure what I could do).

Nuclear War is a terrifying read, and probably the most intense horror book you'll read all year–and it's all based in reality, which makes it even worse. Of course, Jacobsen's scenario is only that, a scenario, but the potential behind it is enough to make anyone feel a bit of a shiver to imagine how easy it would actually be for our world to be destroyed by nuclear weapons in less than 24 hours. This is an anxiety-inducing read, but also a fascinating one, and I guarantee you'll come out of it with a better sense of what's at stake. Overall, I've given Nuclear War four stars!

Very well researched, but rife with grim assumptions. Definitely a book that will keep one awake at night.

I grew up in the 70s and 80s and had nightmares for years after watching "THE DAY AFTER", so I have no idea why I read this book. If I was hoping conditions had improved, I was wrong.
As the other reviews state, this book seems very well-researched (which makes it even more upsetting) and will stay with you for a long time. This should be your go-to if you want a quick, easy, minute-by-minute account of a nuclear war. Just expect a spike in your anxiety levels.
I guess it's a good thing that the younger generations didn't grow up with this hanging over their heads because the existence of nuclear weapons from concept to execution is truly and irrevocably, evil.

As someone who loves a process document, I was immediately smitten with Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear Warfare from its cold, step-by-step detailing of what begins to unfold across the US government when North Korea launches an ICBM at us.

Even the frequent use and defining of acronyms (which, who uses acronyms more than the US military?) it felt like what I’ve done for the past 5 years, if my job entailed documenting Nuclear Armageddon.

Because, in this scenario, it is Armageddon, minus a Bruce Willis sacrificing himself for the benefit of Liv Tyler and…mankind.

This is a disaster movie more along the lines of Deep Impact, or recently Don’t Look Up. Our heroes—and us—likely aren’t making it out of this one alive.

While I never need to hear the phrase “Handmaidens of the Apocalypse” again, or the descriptor “carbonized,” I appreciate what Jacobsen is trying to do here: scare some sense into people by painting the reality of what US military process is in Nuclear War—and how instability of foreign leadership could literally end civilization in less than two hours.

The key takeaway, which I won’t spoil: there are like 3 countries that’ll probably come out of it all largely unscathed. And now I’m researching citizenship requirements for each of these.

I’ll also never judge a prepper again.

Short chapters that made it easy to blast through, with a disaster-movie feel that had me wide-eyed and wanting popcorn, I’d recommend this to folks who want to know the realities of our current nuclear situation and what could happen if Mutually-Assured Destruction (MAD) no longer holds. If you find yourself frequently awake at 3am with worst-case scenario anxiety, do not read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced copy!

Read with: 📱 ebook

Recommended to fans of:

-disaster movies
-military process
-military technology
-nuclear disarmament

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Group Dutton for an advance copy of this book on how the world will probably end, the speed in which it will happen, the inevitably of events cascading, and the knowledge that everyone involved in this knows this that nuclear war can not end well. And yet.

Over the years I have read a lot of books that disturbed me, made me put them down and go for a walk. And as a person who has read a lot of history books I am used to smart people doing stupid things, knowing they are doing stupid things, and yet continue to do stupid things. Out of loyalty, out of orders, out of inevitably, the reasons vary. This book is The Perfect Storm of extinction. There are lines in here, not the megatons, not the death, the asphyxiation of innocent humans, but the ideas that made sense to men, men who should have known better, that makes one want to toss one's hands up and give up on humanity. The trillions and of trillions of dollars wasted in a weapons race that with the grace of God we will never use. I mentioned men making these decisions. I think only Annie Jacobsen could have written this book Nuclear War: A Scenario. A writer of military books, and military science, Jacobsen draws on declassified reports interviews, old articles and a narrative and writing skill to show how crazy the world has been since that July day in Alamogordo in 1945.

The book begins with a possible launch of a nuclear missile from North Korea. I say possible because even with all the trillions spent on tracking missiles, there is a lot of possibility in mistakes. Jacobsen mentions this mistakes in asides throughout the book, from the Moon being thought of as a launch, to a NORAD computer saying there was a groups of Russian missiles in flight. Both of these were wrong. As the possible missile launch is detected, the vast American military activates, from Alaska, to Colorado, to Washington DC, where the missile might be going. A few minutes later, there is a submarine launch of a missile, aimed at a nuclear reactor in California, that will hit well before the ballistic missile hits Washington. This will cause even more destruction with fallout spreading from the reactor's core and cooling rods, something that is illegal according to the rules of war. But in war there really aren't rules. Jacobsen describes everything, American retribution, real world politics, the President being the only one with the launch codes. The fact that plans are made to keep government safe, while millions die. And what happens next.

A book that really should open people's eyes. And remind us to vote. Trillions of dollars spent on missiles, defense systems that even when tests are rigged to make them pass, fail. The idea of EMP bombs, just being ignored. Whenever one wonders why Americans can't have nice things, well there are plenty of examples in here to show on why. I like the fact that there is no real reason why this war starts. It shows the insanity of deterrence. One day a leader could be facing jail time and says why not just blow everything up. Jacobsen is not only a very good technical writer, able to explain things in ways that people can understand, Jacobsen has a good narrative sense. One of the most powerful, maddening books I have read in a long time. One that took me a few days to read, as I needed to put it down. I have read all of Annie Jacobsen's books, this is easily the best and most important.

“NUCLEAR WAR” by Annie Jacobsen
Thank you NetGallery, Penguin Random House LLC Publishers and author Annie Jacobsen for allowing me to read this book. Annie Jacobsen has written the most definitive and up-to-date scenario of an actual nuclear attack upon The United States. Moment to moment details of each action and reaction features the testimonies of top experts and a description of each individual government and military group response in-place. This is “The Doomsday Account” never before offered to the public. The speed at which events transpire and how every responsible party, including The President, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Silo crews, nuclear-armed submarines, Air Force and specific forces programmed to respond react according to established programmed procedures. Immediate emergency contact between American and Russian leaders and the fact that,once set in motion, the impending end of civilization becomes reality. This is a spine-chilling tour-de-force that I could not stop reading.

QUICK TAKE: here's what you need to know: THIS IS THE SCARIEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT EVERY NIGHT SINCE I READ IT A FEW MONTHS AGO. YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AFTER YOU READ THIS. GOOD LUCK.

I recently had the opportunity, graciously granted to me by Penguin Books/Dutton, to examine an ARC of an upcoming title by Annie Jacobsen called "Nuclear War: A Scenario." The book was interesting, well-researched, and full of information that most of the general public probably spends a great deal of time avoiding as far as possible. Obviously, it is not written for the few of us who have gone out of our way to gain some understanding of the implications of nuclear weapons, but that said, there is an audience for this book, and it deserves to be promoted aggressively. The "scenario" referred to in the title has to do with that perennial bad actor, North Korea and its decision to launch an attack on the United States. The "scenario" is principally a tool to illustrate the very short time lines for decision making in the event of a nuclear launch, and it is extremely effective in laying out just how unprepared even our leaders (or, perhaps especially our leaders) are to deal with this kind of a confrontation and to follow the chain of consequences which rapidly expand from even the launch of a single missile, let alone more. Much of the book, of necessity, is very unpalatable, but that doesn't obviate its objective. We all need to look very closely into this topic if we are going to offer even the pretense of understanding of much of our world's international relations. In short it is a quick read that will stay with you for a very long time. It has a place in every library and should find its way into ;many classrooms (I hope).