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.

I've tried a few times but I am unable to. Finish this.book.

In addition to the poor formatting making it very difficult to follow, there are numerous spelling mistakes and typographical errors. Additionally, the writing style is more akin to that seen in a blog rather than a book.

The subject matter is interesting but not .presented well at all.

Comprehensively researched and very well written account of how a nuclear war could overwhelm our world imminently and in the virtual blink of an eye. The scariest thing is how it really only takes the initial step, whether through accident, mistake, miscalculation or deliberate intent, to set in motion an almost unstoppable chain of causation that obliterates planet earth. The human frailties and failings in this deeply flawed system are extensively depicted by Annie Jacobsen. Events mechanistically instigate responses that lead to cascading increasingly catastrophic effects. The plausibility of the scenario set out has become even more credible with events in the last few weeks. Special thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers & NetGalley for a no obligation advance review copy.

*4.5 stars*

I have to admit to harbouring some serious doubts about reading this particular title, but in the end, the desire to know what would happen behind the scenes, got the better of me.

Based on interviews with both military and civilian experts, ‘Nuclear War’ A Scenario is hugely informative, and details minute by minute how a nuclear attack on the United States by North Korea, might play out, and what would happen to the target areas and the people and establishments within it - and importantly, the response to these attacks.

I was astounded to learn about various countries’ nuclear capacities, all of them meant to act as a deterrent, but in reality just waiting to be unleashed in a moment of madness by some rogue leader.

The results of a nuclear war are so terrifying and utterly devastating, that surely only a madman would be evil enough to launch insanely dangerous nuclear missiles, given that a nuclear response of immense proportions from their adversaries would be the only outcome.

NO ONE would win this particular war! One nuclear missile will provoke two dozen in return - this is not a movie, there will be no superhero to save the world. The entire conflict bringing about Armageddon would last for an hour, yes just 1 HOUR!

Exceptionally well researched, the author’s sources are impeccable, ably supported by technical information. This is obviously frightening stuff, but it’s a hugely powerful, sobering and compelling read. Highly recommended.

Totally terrifying scenario that could become true, albeit one hopes that Russian and, particularly, the US and China would behave better than what is laid out here. Clearly very well researched and well sourced (both on and off the record). Highly recommended 10/10

Gonna start by saying I've never understood the concept of nuclear deterrence by the worlds "superpowers". I mean if you're never going to use them, why even have them.

Anyways. This book terrified me and gave me nightmares and OMG everyone should read it so you can understand how INSANE it is that countries have nuclear weapons.

Superbly researched & well written.

Requested this even though it isn't necessarily typically the genre of book that I read, but so glad that i did and a huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
Hugely informative and well presented piece of work that gives an enlightening insight into the state of the state of play in the nuclear bomb world we live in today. Intriguing to learn of the the escalation of nuclear arms from the days at the end of the second World War to where we find ourselves today with seven nations having a nuclear armoury. The lay out of the timeline of events as to what would happen and how quickly it would be in the event of a nuclear weapon being launched against the USA.
Excellently researched and an easy to read narrative
Five stars.

Well researched, well written and totally terrifying if the scenario here should ever happen.

Yes it makes a totally strong case for universal nuclear disarmament but unless it was truly i=universal it'll never happen.

Perhaps a copy of this should be sent to all the world leaders but then do they care and would they read it as they know best don't they?

Very well written and very well researched. And scary as anything, as this could happen whilst I'm typing, let alone tomorrow. Only yesterday, N Korea launched a long range solid fuel ICBM which landed off Japan, then the USA (who surround that area and China, for some reason) and S Korea agreed to carry out nuclear wargaming in 2024. So the book describes an imminent threat, that hopefully will never happen.

The purpose of the book? I guess to explain the horrors of a nuclear war and how it might lead to us all being annihilated in an hour or so, But there-in lies my unease, as it's very US focused, assumes the Pentagon is the No 1 target, then strolls on to describe the impact in the US, with the rest of us a sidebar.

Would a rogue state really be stupid enough to choose the USA as target No 1, or would it choose a soft mainland Europe, or a smaller nuclear power like the UK or France. In current geopolitics, could Israel deploy tactical nuclear weapons at Iran to get rid if Hamas & Hezbollah? India & Pakistan are always at each other, both nuclear powers.

So I'd like to have seen the book written from a different perspective. A more likely first strike. By all means, include the USA in terms of what they'd do as a reaction without provoking Russia, or indeed their equivalent superpower, China.

Extremely well researched, don't mind repeating that. If it was a scientific paper, it could not have more references.

I was surprised by how interested I was in this book. All the information is -apparently- freely available so no telling secrets to the enemy ( whoever that might be). I liked the structure of the book, it follows a timeline of events and the response to those events. I would recommend this as a set book in education involving politics, ethics, democracy, history and science. The human race has the capability to wipe itself out - who should be watching those in power? The information is thoughtfully put together. There are explanations and footnotes aplenty. The last 25% of the book is given over to research credits and further reading. It is sobering to think how close we came to annihilation in the ‘60s. Maybe if more people knew what the outcome is likely to be, we would pay more attention to those who do have the power to push the red button. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a prepublication ebook in return for an honest review.

I hesitated to request this title, but am glad I did as I now have an understanding of what the future would hold should any of the madmen who hold power launch an attack and others counter-attack. The book is absolutely chilling and compelling. The thought that the world as we know it can be utterly destroyed in just one hour at the hands of lunatics is terrifying.

At times I felt as if I was reading fiction and had to keep reminding myself that it's fact. It's hard to comprehend that man has thought fit to develop the means to destroy everything that's ever been created.

I didn't know much about countries' nuclear capacity and am left wondering why, if the purpose of such weapons is deterrence, there are so many warheads poised to be unleashed at a moment's notice.

Interesting too was the description of how a post-nuclear world would look, how long it would take new species to emerge, how the human race would develop should small pockets of population survive. It's so thought-provoking.

Thank you to the writer for researching so deeply and layoug out her findings with such clarity.

When I came to write this review, I realised how utterly appropriate certain review clichés actually are- ‘ if you only read one book this year…’ or ‘ unputdownable’.

Every morning and night before getting up or before sleeping, I scroll for at least an hour through Apple News and Instagram- it’s sacrosanct time- it’s my happy place; I can’t imagine bypassing it for anything. however, for the past two days I have been unable to pick up my phone for any other reason than to read this book on my Kindle app.

It’s absolutely astonishing. I can’t stop talking about it to my friends and family; I’ve saved screenshots to wave in their faces: ‘Can you believe this?!’ ‘Did you realise this?’ I’m not easily scared; I don’t have a particular fear of death; I’m fairly sanguine about the realities of our political world. But Annie Jacobsen’s scenario chilled me to the core. The research here is as meticulous as it possibly can be given the reality of classified information, the people she has spoken to are credible, but it was intricately detailed moments that had the biggest emotional and psychological impact on me. Like when she matter-of-factly mentioned that Omaha, ‘home of the pink hair curler and Butter Brickle ice cream’ had simply ceased to exist in any recognisably meaningful way.

I thought I knew as much as anyone about nuclear warfare. It’s hardly a stretch that a book about it would be shocking. It’s not as if anyone ever claimed it was something to look forward to. But this definitely packs a punch- I’ve never read anything quite like it.

I would’ve been happier if most of her references were to documents or interviews from the 1980s or earlier. But here we have incidents from June of this year, examples from last year, events that happened in 2021, terrible political mistakes which were made before and after the war in Iraq. It’s all hideously believable in the febrile atmosphere of antagonism, aggression and misinformation that we are currently experiencing worldwide.

I found myself actually worrying about whether or not Kim Jong Un or Putin or Trump would be told about it. Would it be a good thing? Would it be misinterpreted?

Read it. Read it. Read it.

An extraordinary and deeply researched book, laying out minute-by-minute what would happen during a nuclear war. The entire conflict lasts only an hour. Everyone involved is, essentially, insane. There is no other conclusion to draw about nuclear war. If I were to nitpick, at times it can feel repetitive, but really that's a stylistic choice to hammer the point home. Compelling and awful in equal measure, I couldn't stop reading, couldn't look away. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Frightening and horrifying

Jacobsen gives a minute by minute scenario of how a a limited nuclear attack on America by North Korea might play out according to the protocols in place - ending, inevitably in nuclear holocaust.

This is well researched with interviews with people at the centre of the nuclear deterrent and much technical information to support the horror - but I also felt this is a very US-centric book that turns on the Cold War still. It seems unlikely to me that China should stay out of this WW3 scenario and that NATO is almost overlooked with Europe being bombed only towards the end.

Criticisms aside, this is unputdownable in a bleak and scary way - the US government has no blueprint for any kind of civilian survival plan (though what they could do in the event of full-out nuclear war is also hard to comprehend) so just be aware that the people we vote for don't care any more for us than they did during covid.

Nuclear war is an insane concept. Nevertheless, here we are in a world brimming with weapons that can destroy life as we know it many, many times over. In this book, Anne Jacobsen describes what would/could happen in the event of a rogue leader launching a nuclear weapon at the United States. She bases this on interviews, research, and access to the declassified information that is currently available. The book is incredibly well-written and reads like a thriller, as she describes, minute-by-minute, what would happen both with the nuclear warhead in its journey towards the target and with the US government as they react to the fact of an impending nuclear strike. She talks to people who have been in situations and jobs where they were well-versed in the procedures that would ensue. She explains what such a strike would do to the target area and the people in it. She talks about the possibility of a nuclear detonation in space that would immediately stop the US electric grid from functioning. The people she talks to admit that while the goal of having nuclear arsenals is deterrence, all of the plans and protocols go out the window in the event of an actual launch.

The book is subtitled, A Scenario, and it is structured in that way. The author is telling a story, based on fact as far as is possible. She lays out a scenario in which a 'mad king'--in this case in North K0rea--launches a nuclear strike against the United States. How would people in the Us and elsewhere respond? Would communication between the US and Russia occur and would it help to prevent more catastrophe or would things escalate. The situation she describes seems all too plausible. The book is very timely, describing as it does the nuclear arsenals that are precariously sitting all over the globe and in the oceans, while unhinged leaders feel an increasing need to appear powerful. This is an extremely important book that is also so well-written that it's a page-turner. Everyone should read it.