Potus Geeks Book Review: Nuclear War-A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
Annie Jacobsen is a tenacious and brilliant author and journalist who, the the past has written on such arcane and interesting subjects such as Area 51, the hidden history of the CIA, Operation Paperclip (the relocation of former Nazi scientist for work in US defense projects), DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) as well as the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis, just to name a few subjects covered by this prolific author. In her latest work, entitled Nuclear War: A Scenario, the Pulitzer Prize finalist tackles a subject more fitting for a Stephen King novel: what would happen if a foreign enemy (say North Korea, for example) started a nuclear war with the United States?
Jacobsen shows remarkable knowledge of the inner workings of the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, as well as other government agencies such as FEMA. She also understands and explains highly technical aspects of how a nuclear attack would unfold, including the mechanics of launch and flight of a missile carrying a nuclear warhead, the thought behind target selection, how launch of a missile with nuclear capability is detected by US defense systems, the time to react to such a catastrophe, and all of the many players involved at multiple locations who must be called upon to react to such a catastrophe. How does one react to an incoming nuke, and are there systems in place to intercept the attack before impact and detonation? What is the "nuclear football" and how does the President actually use it? Jacobsen answers all of these questions, and the answers aren't pretty. In a minute-by-minute analysis, detailing the roles of military personnel from junior officers right up to the commander-in-chief (the President).
Jacobsen divides her book into five parts: the build-up of the nuclear arms race, the first 24 minutes of an attack (roughly the period from launch to impact in her scenario), the next 24 minutes. the 24 minute segment after that, and finally the aftermath. She leaves no stone unturned, describing what impact looks like, the mechanics of retaliation, each of the major powers' estimated nuclear capability, the effects of nuclear fallout, the consequences to the populace both in the blast zone and in the surrounding areas, and the long term environment consequences, including a comprehensible explanation of what nuclear winter is like.
As the book's forward correctly states, Jacobsen "takes the reader up to the razor's edge of what can be legally known" about a potential nuclear war. She has conducted detailed interviews with former government defense officials and high-ranking military personnel, nuclear physicists and others who have worked in US nuclear command and control positions. Her conclusions are not pleasant. After taking the reader through this ticking clock scenario, Jacobsen makes it clear that there will be no winner in a war fought with nuclear weapons, and that despite the promise that deterrence would prevent her scenario from ever happen, nations continue to build bigger and more destructive and more expensive weapons.
As might be expected from such a powerful and engaging writer, this book captures and keeps the reader's interest, in spite of its highly disturbing subject. It is not a feel good book. If the folly of nuclear war has not already become apparent to everyone, Jacobsen makes the point as clearly as can be made. There is no winner in a nuclear war. Everyone loses. She reaches this conclusion:
With time, after a nuclear war, all present-day knowledge will be gone. Including the knowledge that the enemy was not North Korea, Russia, America, China, Iran or anyone else vilified as a nation or a group.
It was the nuclear weapons that were the enemy of us all. All along.
Jacobsen shows remarkable knowledge of the inner workings of the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, as well as other government agencies such as FEMA. She also understands and explains highly technical aspects of how a nuclear attack would unfold, including the mechanics of launch and flight of a missile carrying a nuclear warhead, the thought behind target selection, how launch of a missile with nuclear capability is detected by US defense systems, the time to react to such a catastrophe, and all of the many players involved at multiple locations who must be called upon to react to such a catastrophe. How does one react to an incoming nuke, and are there systems in place to intercept the attack before impact and detonation? What is the "nuclear football" and how does the President actually use it? Jacobsen answers all of these questions, and the answers aren't pretty. In a minute-by-minute analysis, detailing the roles of military personnel from junior officers right up to the commander-in-chief (the President).
Jacobsen divides her book into five parts: the build-up of the nuclear arms race, the first 24 minutes of an attack (roughly the period from launch to impact in her scenario), the next 24 minutes. the 24 minute segment after that, and finally the aftermath. She leaves no stone unturned, describing what impact looks like, the mechanics of retaliation, each of the major powers' estimated nuclear capability, the effects of nuclear fallout, the consequences to the populace both in the blast zone and in the surrounding areas, and the long term environment consequences, including a comprehensible explanation of what nuclear winter is like.
As the book's forward correctly states, Jacobsen "takes the reader up to the razor's edge of what can be legally known" about a potential nuclear war. She has conducted detailed interviews with former government defense officials and high-ranking military personnel, nuclear physicists and others who have worked in US nuclear command and control positions. Her conclusions are not pleasant. After taking the reader through this ticking clock scenario, Jacobsen makes it clear that there will be no winner in a war fought with nuclear weapons, and that despite the promise that deterrence would prevent her scenario from ever happen, nations continue to build bigger and more destructive and more expensive weapons.
As might be expected from such a powerful and engaging writer, this book captures and keeps the reader's interest, in spite of its highly disturbing subject. It is not a feel good book. If the folly of nuclear war has not already become apparent to everyone, Jacobsen makes the point as clearly as can be made. There is no winner in a nuclear war. Everyone loses. She reaches this conclusion:
With time, after a nuclear war, all present-day knowledge will be gone. Including the knowledge that the enemy was not North Korea, Russia, America, China, Iran or anyone else vilified as a nation or a group.
It was the nuclear weapons that were the enemy of us all. All along.