There is no winner in a nuclear war, we all know that, but Annie Jacobsen's book goes into great detail as to the build up to war following the launching of a missile, giving a minute by minute breakdown of the possible events.

In Jacobsen's scenario, the initial attack is launched by North Korea, and is followed by a rapid escalation of hostilities. However, although the book is meticulously researched and draws on expertise from a number of sources, all those sources are American and the whole book is written from an American perspective.

The scenario that the author outlines envisages the United States as the only country which makes any attempt to de-escalate the situation, and implies that the leaders of other countries are less advanced or intelligent than the American hierarchy. The chances of some of the events that Jacobsen outlines actually happening are unlikely in the extreme. As a result, this title needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

If you live in Europe, you are barely mentioned - and if you are in the southern hemisphere you don't get a look in. Good news for New Zealanders I guess!

The book needs to be more global in its outlook, and the author needs to credit non-Americans with somewhat more intelligence than she does.

Incredible. Reads like a thriller in a second-by-second, minute-by-minute breakdown of what could be expected to happen following a nuclear strike on the USA. Everyone should read this book to know more about the rising threat of nuclear war, the futility of the overall concept as a deterrent, and the politics and science behind the potential decisions to be made. Eye-opening, astonishing, gut-wrenching.

There's only one event besides an asteroid collision that could swiftly reshape our world: nuclear war. Until now, the precise sequence of events triggered by a rogue state firing a nuclear missile at the Pentagon has remained a mystery to the public. Second, by second and minute by minute, these are the real-world procedures orchestrating the potential demise of civilization as we know it.

Critical choices impacting millions must be made within a mere six minutes, relying on incomplete information, fully aware that once initiated, the devastation cannot be halted. Drawing from numerous fresh interviews with military and civilian authorities intimately familiar with nuclear weaponry, response strategies, and pivotal decision-making, this is the sole narrative detailing the harrowing reality of a nuclear conflict.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen is not a book you love, it certainly is capable of making a reader feel fear though. This scenario based fiction is based on real-life information and protocols and shows just how little stands between our current situation and a catastrophic event.

Nuclear War is intensely researched and thorough in every way, and honestly, this is what makes it such a terrifying read. Normally I like to read books in one sitting as much as possible but this book needed to be read in small chunks, partly because of she sheer amount of research, but also because it would have been a little overwhelming to read all at once.

It seems crazy to me, as it should to anyone, that a handful of world leaders are all that stands between us and total annihilation. What a fragile position we all find ourselves.

The scenario is broken down into minute by minute action and in excruciating detail outlines how in just six minutes a decision has to be made whether to launch or not,

I honestly didn't know what to rate this book. It deserves a five in a lot of ways but because I found the research a little hard going at times, and because I can't exactly say I loved it, I have given it 3.5. However, I would recommend it for anyone interested in the subject matter.

If like me, you are old enough to remember 'Threads', 'the Day after ', 'When the wind blows' etc terrifying you on the television, then you might think you'd be prepared for the horrifying scenario portrayed in this masterpiece of non fiction.

But you'd be wrong.

There is no doubt about it, WW3 will be nuclear, and it will be the end of the world as we know it.

Nuclear War: A Scenario is a meticulously researched novel by Annie Jacobsen an American Investigative journalist.

WW3 begins when the US Early Warning System picks up a nuclear attack en route from North Korea. It is an unprovoked attack that puts the US military and Government in to a state of disbelief and shock, but urges them to spring into action and adhere to long rehearsed protocols.

The unthinkable has happened, and they need to act fast.

Everyone knows that a Nuclear War can't be won, but the US needs to defend itself against the enemy, with devastating consequences...

This is a super important book, but I would recommend reading in it in small chunks, and definitely not before you go to bed! It is the stuff of nightmares.

What a very readable and informative book this is; now one of my permanent reference volumes.

The detail is fascinating in so many different ways. From the development of the bomb, through the political posturing, to the lunacy that "world leaders" could possibly think that an atomic bomb could lead, if launched, to anything other than the annihilation of life as we know it.

The description of the bombs that were dropped on Japan and the effect that they had on the population compared to the super-bombs of today which, if deployed would make Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs appear to be nothing more than flash-bangs.

Whilst the contents of this book and the people involved are terrifying, Annie Jacobsen does a very good job of both describing the bombs and the people who have ultimate control over them; all in style that is easy-to-read.

Most certainly a book that, truly, everyone should read as it might remove some of the complacency exhibited by too many people on this our all too fragile planet.

Actually found this a scary read - outlining the protocols and systems that are in place in the major powers in relation to nuclear weapons and their use and management, The author creates a scenario and then plays it through using these protocols and guidance from interviews with those who have served in positions of power. It does highlight the ludicrously fragile controls in place and the inherent likelihood that what is perceived as a deterrent will in fact end up being used by the scarily small number of men on the planet in charge of the capability. Interesting read and well constructed.

This book is truly terrifying. It is the thing of night terrors made all the worst because it's non fiction.

This could happen. This is possible.

Growing up I read a book called Children of the Dust by Louise Lawrence which deals with the after the bombs drop, it was that book that gave me a morbid interest in nuclear war. This book, this scenario, is the before. The real before told in minute by minute actions and counter actions.

The information you didn't know you wanted to know and now really wish you didn't.

Deeply researched and amazingly written in a matter of fact way back up by those who in the know. This should be required reading for those in power, those making decisions and those considering politics.

Grab this book...and...just read it, take it in. Not a bedtime read!

What could happen if a nuclear bomb was launched and what would happen next? Minute by minute account as what may happen and the possible consequences. Would mankind survive or even try to?

This book is so well written. So fascinating and terrifying at the same time. We learn what plans are in place and who has the power to act.

Can the human race survive an all out war and can the planet itself survive? So scary but a great read.

If the words "nuclear winter" fill you with anxiety, this unputdownable non-fiction thriller from American investigative journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen will keep you awake ALL NIGHT. I don't know who could read this and not be struck with cold, hard fear.

Nuclear War is a second by second, minute by minute case study of how nuclear war may unfold in the event that a nuclear missile is launched at the US, in this case by North Korea. In no uncertain terms, Jacobsen delivers the appalling and stark message that there is no comeback from nuclear war, there are no winners and it will inevitably lead to the complete breakdown of civilisation. Armageddon if you will. This is a story where 12,000 years of civilisation is reduced to rubble in mere minutes and hours.

If ever there was a persuasive argument for the urgent need to decommission all nuclear weapons, this is it. There was some repetition in places but this was a startling, knockout read that left me feeling rather panicked. Not for the faint of heart. 4.5/5 stars

This is a book that I wish I could say was a science fiction or a fantasy, dystopian genre, but it isn't it is a nonfiction and it is brilliant if terrifying reading.

The author uses her knowledge and experience from her previous books to bring a scenario we all hope will never happen. What if a nuclear weapon was launched and what would happen? Because she uses an almost fictional approach it is so easy to follow and this is something that makes this factual book so readable to the point that it felt as if I was reading a fictional thriller.

The book gives various points of information about the basics of a nuclear weapon, the tests that have been done, and the various types of weapons that various other countries have got. There is a piece toward the end of the book that suggests that some countries have almost copied in a "follow the leader" way and that if a third world war was a nuclear one, then the fourth one would be fought with sticks and stones, this is a quote from Einstein.

The author takes the reader through the various stages of an attack, how long a missile would take, what defences could be used, what the US responses would be and how the various protocols that are in place would potentially work... or not!

The main part of this book goes through a minute-by-minute account of what would happen, from the US and other countries. Another scary point that is made is that the US President would have to make decisions within 6 minutes. It would take just under half an hour from launch to destruction. What can you do in less than half an hour?

Obviously, once a nuclear attack has happened it is not just strategic sites that are affected, it is the billions of people around the world that are caught amid this end-of-world scenario. Many will not be aware as they will be instantly incinerated, but others will have the terrible lingering aftermath of illness, disease and survival.

While this is in some ways quite a horrific book to read, it is, nevertheless so addictive and mindblowing. It is such an easy non-fiction book to read and understand, there is some science-y stuff as you would expect but the majority is manageable for a non-science-headed person like me!
It is a fabulous book and one I would definitely recommend.

Well researched, well sritten, but depressing.
This book is truly frightening particularly because there is nothing we as individuals can do about it.
The research that Annie Jacobsen has undertaken this book is extensive, so much so that about a quarter of it is taken up by Cknowledgemants. And references.
She clearly states at the outset that this is a possible scenario, but it is so well supported by facts that it might just come true .cannOt be denied. We have here details of the numerous command structures involved with nuclear weapons for both the USA and Russia. Suffice it to say that some of there are very convoluted.
This isn't an easy read, partly because of the very graphic descriptions incredible loss of life and damage, and also the amount of detail, but I have no hesitation in recommending thisbook.

Gosh what a book. I definitely wouldn’t put it in the light reading category. It’s an important book, that shows us what could happen so easily. It’s still making me feel uncomfortable even though I finished it a couple of weeks ago and I suspect it will stay with me for a long time to come.

This book takes a long hard look at what might happen if nuclear war broke out. It pulls no punches and some may be disturbed by it. Indeed I'd probably say most people should be disturbed by this insight. The book starts with a useful Author's note on the "how" of this book - interviews with many people - and what it seeks to address. Essentially it offers a scenario into an "unwarned" attack with the line that "there is no such thing as a small nuclear war". It lists the people who were interviewed. After that comes a Prologue which is subtitled "Hell on Earth" (rightly). Using the Pentagon as the target of a 1 megaton thermonuclear detonation it gives an outline of what will happen in the first 60 seconds after the blast. 90% of the roughly 1 million people in the near vicinity will die most of whom will not "make it more than a few steps from where they happen to be when the bomb detonates". A nuclear WW3 is guaranteed to leave a minimum of 2 billion dead worldwide.

From here we get a well structured and easily readable background on nuclear war. It starts with the fact that in 1960 there was a group of American military officials got together to discuss the secret plan for nuclear war. At the time it expected that around one fifth of the world population would die is such a war. It list the people present at that meeting. While the meeting was top secret one person present revealed information about this meeting in 2008 not long before he died. His view of the meeting is remarkable.

The narrative takes step back to look at August 1945 and the results of the explosion over Hiroshima. The first person narratives are powerful to say the least. From there it looks at the development of nuclear weapons after 1945 until around 1990 including the nuclear tests that took place. There is a very good outline of the nuclear arms race. Despite being alive for much of the time there was plenty I either didn't know or hadn't fully understood.

The book goes on to look at the SIOP - the Single Integrated Plan for General Nuclear War. Among other things it takes a very diligent look at just how many people would die where in the event of a pre-emptive nuclear strike… Again there is narrative from someone who was present at that meeting.

Part 2 of the book uses a scenario of a pre-emptive strike by North Korea and much of the book tracks the consequences of that action along a linear (and very short) timeline. If you started reading this book at that point you would probably not get to this part of the book before you were affected or dead as a result of this attack. The tracking of the missile (and others that are launched) is well covered. Once detonation occurs again this tracks what would probably happen in the USA and Russia as a consequence. This is compelling reading that varies from the farcical to the terrifying. It is also quite hard to stop reading. Interspersed in this are a series of "History Lessons". They cover various topics that are related to nuclear war and were extremely interesting to me.

I'd love to be able to tell you that everything was alright in the end but that simply couldn't happen in any nuclear war scenario. Around 70% of life and habitat on earth would most likely be destroyed. If you can handle that and this interested you it is one helluva read and I would (un)happily recommend it. I guess it is something that we all should know more about. It seems quite likely that we will assist in destroying our world and this is only one of the options for doing that. Definitely recommended for anyone with an interest.

A shocking, gripping and intricately researched look at the horrors of nuclear war, and how easy it’d be for us to get there. With a compulsive pace and eye for detail, it reads like a thriller and you have to periodically remind yourself that this could all be real. A brilliant read and impressive feat of research and storytelling.

This is a very interesting and captivating read that shows what would happen in the case of a nuclear war. I loved the details presented in the book even though I wanted more from other parts of the world as well. But I understand this book shows a scenario of what would happen based on the US protocols and I believe each country exposed to a nuclear bomb threat may have different protocols. Overall, it was a good read that almost felt like a thriller, something that happens only in books or in movies.

A brilliant book but I wish I hadn't read it. We all know that the only outcome of a nuclear war is annihilation of the human race with earth being uninhabitable for millennia. The book is extremely well researched giving the imagined minute by minute decision making and counter-attacks after a nuclear bomb is launched. Although the book gives the hypothetical case of North Korea attacking Washington and California, the reaction by the USA is based on documented protocols. These are detailed within the story line and also in the notes at the end, which take up 25% of the book. The author also makes it clear that not all the tracking or identification of a threat is foolproof. Another frightening aspect was that the President of the USA is the sole person who can order a nuclear attack and he cannot be over-ruled. (I hope Trump isn't elected).

The main takeaway after reading this book, for me, is that nuclear weapons should never be fired. Even more I hope that they get decommissioned, retired, whatever word you want to use.
This book was engaging from the very first page. It starts as soon as the first missile was fired, the actions taken in the ensuing countdown to impact, the panic and devestation that follows, the six minute windows of time country leaders have to make critical decisions about responses to incoming threats, the fallout, the ultimate devestation wrought upon the planet.
It was interesting yet so terrifying and awful to read at the same time. I was so unaware of the majority of this information. It was interesting as well to understand from an American perspective and I would be interested to read a scenario based from the UK. However, after reading, I can hazard a guess it all ends in ultimate devestation.
It was terrifying. It was awful. I think my only positive drawback from this is if it did all happen then it would all be over in about an hour or so.
This was engaging and awful. I reccommended for anyone to read in this current political climate.
Quote - Everyone loses. Everyone.

As you'd expect from the title, Nuclear War: A Scenario is a bleak and horrifying read. This is meticulously researched and detailed non-fiction with the pace of a thriller.

The biggest difficulty with describing nuclear war is that the scale of the event - the geography, the death toll, the recovery time - it's almost unimaginable. By breaking her scenario down almost second by second, Jacobsen goes some way to making it comprehensible - as well as illustrating just how quickly the world could end.

The scenario Jacobsen imagines is very much an American one. Europe gets a brief mention, but places outside of the northern hemisphere are little more than a footnote (despite the fact the impact of a nuclear strike anywhere in the world is likely to be global). There is also a level of assumed knowledge about American government and defence, which as a British reader I sometimes found quite difficult to follow.

This is just one possible scenario. But as Jacobsen makes clear, in the game of nuclear war, once the first die is cast, no one wins.

Annie Jacobsen's new book is fascinating and -- quite frankly -- horrifying from cover to cover. The book presents a hypothetical minute by minute unfolding of events that culminate in full-scale nuclear war and the end of the world as we know it. A four-hundred-page book that breaks down the events of an hour may sound like a recipe for tedium, like Joyce's seven-hundred-plus page elaboration of the events of a single day in "Ulysses." But, it is anything but. There is so much to explore amid the concepts like "the nuclear football" and MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction,) and EMP's (Electromagnetic Pulse weapons.) There is also so much to go wrong, and much that is virtually certainly go wrong.

That last sentence might suggest that the book takes an excessively pessimistic view to create drama. Sadly, it does not need to. The ultra-fast timeline of nuclear calculus does the work of ensuring that many things will go terrifyingly and irreparably wrong. Decision makers have a short window to make decisions, and "use-'em-or-lose-'em" thinking plays a major role in decision making. (i.e. One can't count on delaying a decision about a counter response because one's delivery infrastructure -- notably, the human bit of it -- will likely be destroyed if one absorbs the first strike.) There is also the fact that -- counter to all the abort buttons seen in the movies -- once missiles are launched, there is no way to stop them. [A bit of "Dr. Strangelove" writ into the system.] At many of the points at which it may seem that Jacobsen is being pessimistic for effect, she explains the basis for her pessimism: from historical events like the failure of the nuclear hotline to commentary by experts.

Lest one think that nuclear warfare is a threat of the past, and that it's a solved problem, Jacobsen's scenario reminds us that it's not just a matter of NATO v the Warsaw Pact (i.e. America v the USSR in the common conception) anymore. She does this by using North Korea as the instigator. We don't ever learn the Kims' theoretical motivation, but all one really needs to know to make one nervous is that the DPRK has been quite happy playing the role of pariah, engaging in a number of activities in violation of international law and norms, as well as that Kim Jong Un might just believe some of the ridiculous things his yes-men tell him. (Not to mention the famines and other destabilizing conditions that could lead some other inside actor or group of actors to take unanticipated actions.) The truly disturbing part is to see how easily a strike by the DPRK could draw Russia or possibly China into the nuclear exchange. [Russia because it's in the path between the US and the DPRK, and China because it could suffer massive casualties from strikes on North Korean facilities near the border that send radiation to sizable Chinese population centers.]

This book is a must-read for anyone who thinks nuclear weapons are the problem of a bygone era.