Paul’s review of Nuclear War: A Scenario > Likes and Comments
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Is this a newer book?
I’m on a waitlist for this book ever since I listened to a Science Friday interview. Thanks for the review!
I'm thinking I should have added a spoiler alert, even though it's non fiction....
Thanks for the review, Paul. I might not read it, but I like knowing about Nuclear War, a scenario.
I didn't know that Khrushchev quote, but I believe the truth of it and means I have to suspend a good deal of belief to watch post-apocalyptic films!
did you ever see that British movie Threads ? From 1984. The most realistic and frightening one I think.
No, but I just looked it up: grimly plausible, judging by the trailers etc.
I have this as an audiobook and have made a couple of starts at reading it, but I end up shelving it for something lighter.
For me 'The War Game' was most chilling representation of 'the bomb'. It was (and still is) an incredible piece of cinema. Aunty Beeb decided it shouldn't be shown, but 10 years after it was made, our unusually liberal headmaster let us early teens see it in a school assembly and it left a terror of M.A.D. that is still with me to this day. Bobbies shooting looters and the terminally injured. Eye-opening stuff.
Yes! The War Game is brilliant, second best nuclear war movie after Threads. It's a must see for anyone wanting to be terrified.
I thought Threads was terrifying! I'll have to see if I can track down The War Game.
The War Game can be found on a website called docsonline
Paul wrote: "The War Game can be found on a website called docsonline" Awesome - thank you!
"This is where we are right now, flinging lighted matches around in a leaking gasoline storage depot." We live in "interesting times."
Terrifying indeed. Coincidentally, I just recently watched Nolan's latest film "Oppenheimer" and I can relate to several of the things you enumerate in your review. Terrifying, indeed.
Excellent summation and commentary. Thank you. Admittedly, I have not read the book. However, many of these scenarios I've already heard from past analyst or experts. Thus, It is odd to me that this book is described as non-fiction when in fact it has not yet occurred. As you indicated deterrence & diplomacy have worked. With both vigor and integrity we have to continually pursue those ends. As a final note, Annie leaves no room for probability. Not all ICBM's are going to hit their target - there will be failures. Perhaps, though, that is of no great consolation. Shalom, Theodore.
My biggest beef was that the other nuclear-capable countries would have no doubt also been aware of the earliest launches, yet were kept out of the story? I realize things fell apart very quickly, but wouldn’t countries like the UK or France have been in on the conversations which the USA and Russia?
It is odd to me that this book is described as non-fiction when in fact it has not yet occurred
Belatedly.... I see what you mean here... the whole thing could have been rewritten as a straight (very bad!) novel.
Perhaps the demonization of the DPRK, and repeated references to its "mad king," is the point of the book, since everyone already knows "nuclear war bad."
I shared exactly the same sentiment regarding the reveal of the nuke due to the photograph. It just seems too much of a stretch to accept that KJU would do such a thing over such a minor slight. A lot gets said about the man but I don't think he's so petty to drop a nuke over a photo he doesn't like. I really think it would be better to not justify it at all, or have it truly be an accident. I think a better twist would have been a regular missile launch that was either accidentally loaded or the US shoots first before realising its not loaded and theyre just doing the worlds stupidest flex as a test.
1. This review feels like a chat-GPT output. 2. It's a book about a military and scientific scenario, they use a lot of acronyms. She defines all of them at the first use
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Davy
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Apr 14, 2024 07:59AM
Is this a newer book?
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I’m on a waitlist for this book ever since I listened to a Science Friday interview. Thanks for the review!
I'm thinking I should have added a spoiler alert, even though it's non fiction....
Thanks for the review, Paul. I might not read it, but I like knowing about Nuclear War, a scenario.
I didn't know that Khrushchev quote, but I believe the truth of it and means I have to suspend a good deal of belief to watch post-apocalyptic films!
did you ever see that British movie Threads ? From 1984. The most realistic and frightening one I think.
No, but I just looked it up: grimly plausible, judging by the trailers etc.
I have this as an audiobook and have made a couple of starts at reading it, but I end up shelving it for something lighter. For me 'The War Game' was most chilling representation of 'the bomb'. It was (and still is) an incredible piece of cinema. Aunty Beeb decided it shouldn't be shown, but 10 years after it was made, our unusually liberal headmaster let us early teens see it in a school assembly and it left a terror of M.A.D. that is still with me to this day. Bobbies shooting looters and the terminally injured. Eye-opening stuff.
Yes! The War Game is brilliant, second best nuclear war movie after Threads. It's a must see for anyone wanting to be terrified.
I thought Threads was terrifying! I'll have to see if I can track down The War Game.
The War Game can be found on a website called docsonline
Paul wrote: "The War Game can be found on a website called docsonline" Awesome - thank you!
"This is where we are right now, flinging lighted matches around in a leaking gasoline storage depot." We live in "interesting times."
Terrifying indeed. Coincidentally, I just recently watched Nolan's latest film "Oppenheimer" and I can relate to several of the things you enumerate in your review. Terrifying, indeed.
Excellent summation and commentary. Thank you. Admittedly, I have not read the book. However, many of these scenarios I've already heard from past analyst or experts. Thus, It is odd to me that this book is described as non-fiction when in fact it has not yet occurred. As you indicated deterrence & diplomacy have worked. With both vigor and integrity we have to continually pursue those ends. As a final note, Annie leaves no room for probability. Not all ICBM's are going to hit their target - there will be failures. Perhaps, though, that is of no great consolation. Shalom, Theodore.
My biggest beef was that the other nuclear-capable countries would have no doubt also been aware of the earliest launches, yet were kept out of the story? I realize things fell apart very quickly, but wouldn’t countries like the UK or France have been in on the conversations which the USA and Russia?
It is odd to me that this book is described as non-fiction when in fact it has not yet occurred Belatedly.... I see what you mean here... the whole thing could have been rewritten as a straight (very bad!) novel.
Perhaps the demonization of the DPRK, and repeated references to its "mad king," is the point of the book, since everyone already knows "nuclear war bad."
I shared exactly the same sentiment regarding the reveal of the nuke due to the photograph. It just seems too much of a stretch to accept that KJU would do such a thing over such a minor slight. A lot gets said about the man but I don't think he's so petty to drop a nuke over a photo he doesn't like. I really think it would be better to not justify it at all, or have it truly be an accident. I think a better twist would have been a regular missile launch that was either accidentally loaded or the US shoots first before realising its not loaded and theyre just doing the worlds stupidest flex as a test.
1. This review feels like a chat-GPT output. 2. It's a book about a military and scientific scenario, they use a lot of acronyms. She defines all of them at the first use
