Nuclear War: A Scenario

Excellent book with detailed explanation of situation in Nuclear Attack and the aftermath akin to a Virtual Reality -though this word is for computer simulations as we know but this book is an exercise very close to it.A very detailed coverage of. Multiple facets and events in case of an outbreak .

Interesting and scary account of what could happen. Extremely well researched.

Annie jacobsen is the best writer there is

THIS IS SCARY .. BUT A MUST READThis book is interesting to me as I have been writing books on Science, Philosophy, and the Nuclear Geopolitics of the world, and is bound to be helpful to me to develop a better understanding of how close we are towards extinction time, and what steps we should take towards a course correction to ensure continued existence of this extraordinarily intelligent life on the planet Earth.I received the book just a couple of days back and have so far read a few pages here and there, but that was enough to form an opinion. It is an excellent read, abs 5 star. The amount of study and research that must have gone into it is just mind boggling. I will come back for a more detailed review after I have finished reading the book in full, which may take a few months.At this stage, I want to corelate the book with two of my recently published books `INFORMATION IN THE FIELD` and `IS THIS OUR FINAL MILLENNIUM .. THIRD EDITION`.During the book launch of `IITF` held recently on 30th December 2025 at the Bangalore International Centre, Bangalore, near the end of my 30 minute presentation I provided some calculations – based on certain assumptions of course - to show there is a 64 % chance of extinction of the human race within the current millennium ending in the year 3000.The first assumption : The Probability of a Nuclear attack taking place in one year is 1 in `z` ( Based on a certain elaborate survey carried out by yours truly some years back), where `z` in Seconds to Midnight is the location of the Doomsday Clock of BOAS ( Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists).Second assumption: The average location of the Doomsday clock for the next 975 years till the year 3000 – assuming further that good sense remains elusive - is expected to be 80 Seconds to Midnight .Third assumption: The probable chance of a chain reaction – following each nuclear attack – leading to the extinction of the human race, is 1 in 12 ( Based on the same survey).Here`s the calculation:1. Probability of extinction in 1 year = (1/80)*(1/12) = 1/960 = 0.10416 %2. Probability of surviving from extinction per year = (1 -1/960) = 959/960 = 99.89583 %3. Probability of survival from extinction for 975 years till the year 3000 ( ie till the end of the current millennium) = (959/960)^975 = 36.197 %4. Hence probability of extinction before the current Millennium ends = 63.803 %, say 64 %.5. Hence, the question:IS THIS OUR FINAL MILLENNIUM?SOME QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE Q & A SESSIONSo, when the calculation was provided that there is a 0.104 % chance of extinction of the human race per year, and a 64% chance that we may not survive beyond the current millennium ending in the year 3000, the question was asked if I was not too pessimistic in my view.My response: `Scientists - who may not have done any calculation – may not agree with me. But there are scientists who have done all the calculations who are far more pessimistic than me. For example, the Scientist Stephen Hawking predicted that 200 years is all the time left with us and we should move out to some other star system before that. He made that prediction in the year 2018 when the Doomsday Clock - of BOAS ( Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) was at 2 minutes to midnight, currently - as per the January 2025 announcement of BOAS - it is at 89 seconds to midnight and very likely to be much closer to midnight when the Atomic Scientists make the January 2026 announcement. Another Scientist Martin Lee is even more pessimistic and predicts the current century as our `Final Century` which incidentally is the title of his latest book.Today .. the 27th of January as I am in the process of finalizing a document on `PROCEEDINGS AT THE BOOK LAUNCH OF `INFORMATION IN THE FIELD`, I am reading a book `Nuclear War .. A Scenario`` by Annie Jacobsen purchased a few days back with the specific intent to demonstrate that I am not at all `Pessimistic` when I say that this might be our final millennium.Here are two small extracts from the book:1) `` The first rule of nuclear war is that there are no rules.Until now, no one outside official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the Pentagon. Second by second and minute by minute, these are the real-life protocols that choregraph the end of civilization as we know it. `` … Backside of the Cover Page Jacket2) ``This strike on DC initiates the beginning of an Armageddon- like General Nuclear War that will almost certainly follow. `There is no such thing as a small nuclear war` is an oft repeated phrase in Washington. A nuclear strike on the pentagon is just the beginning of a scenario, the finality of which will be the end of civilization as we know it. This is the reality of the world in which we all live. The nuclear war scenario proposed in this book could happen tomorrow. Or later today.`The world could end in the next couple of hours` warns Gen. Robert Kehler, the former commander of the United States Strategic Command. `` … Authors NoteSo, what I am trying to say is that the assumption I made in my presentation (The third assumption) that the probable chance of a chain reaction – following each nuclear attack – leading to the extinction of the human race, is 1 in 12, is an optimistic assumption and not a pessimistic one.While on the subject `Optimistic assumption Vs `Pessimistic assumption` in a post book launch interaction ( with members of the Windmills `Book Club`) my attention was drawn to the New York Times bestselling book `Abundance `where the author provides a manifesto for the future that is grounded in practical solutions addressing some of the World`s most pressing concerns, and is highly optimistic of a bright future for humanity.My response was as under:``I have the book `Abundance` and have read it in parts. In my book `Is This Our Final Millenium` which is all about `Conversations at a Seminar ( Imaginary conference as if held in a parallel Universe) the subject is discussed at length. Here is an extract from the book:Peter. H. Diamandis. author of the bestselling book `Abundance` takes the mike in response to a Stephen Hawking observation that `UNINTELLIGENCE` was well ahead of `INTELLIGENCE `on the planet and that 200 years is all the time left with us and we should move out to some other star system before that :PHD: You are terribly wrong in your assessment Stephen Hawking. There is no need to Panic at all. I have all the statistics available with me to show that - despite all the conflicts and wars and natural calamities etc – that Intelligence is well ahead of Unintelligence and with every passing year the life spans are increasing and the quality of life improving all the time. We have prepared - Me and Steve Kotler (Award winning Science writer) - documents to convincingly show how progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, infinite computing, ubiquitous broadband computing, digital manufacturing, nanomaterials, synthetic biology, and many other exponentially growing technologies will enable us to make greater gains in the next two hundred years. We will soon have the ability to meet and exceed the basic needs of every man woman and child on the planet. Abundance for all is within our grasp.Enter Martin Rees … Scientist and Cosmologist and author of the book `Final Century` ..MR: I am not in agreement with you Peter .. I have read `Abundance` in full. You have not discussed the subject of Nuclear Wars at all except for some cursory mentions here and there, and your coverage of Global Warming does not exceed a few sentences here and there. The increase in human life spans or the improvement in the quality of life are no yardsticks to measure the extent of time the human race can survive from extinction. A single button pressed by a harassed POTUS - or POR or POC or anyone - can lead to a chain reaction of scores of buttons pressed worldwide and that’s it for the humanrace. I am in total agreement with Stephen Hawking .. and I don`t think we have 200 years left .. Perhaps the 21st may even be our FINAL CENTURY.PHD: You may be right Martin Rees, but I do have faith in the human instinct of self-preservation. Besides, I have full faith in the success of this seminar.Yuval Noah Harari .. author of another bestselling book `Sapiens .. A Brief History Of Humankind` takes the mike.YNH: To satisfy both optimists and pessimists, we may conclude by saying that we are on the threshold of both heaven and hell, moving nervously between the gateway of one, and the anteroom of the other. History has still not decided where we will end up, and a string of coincidences might yet send us rolling in either direction.Another question asked during the Q & A session: Which country was the most likely to start a nuclear attack?Without much hesitation I replied it was the US – under the influence of its Deep State – which was the most likely country to use its nuclear arsenal soon. The reason why I think so is that the entire Nuclear Arsenal currently available with the US is retiring fast and will be of no use after 2030, so it makes good economic sense to use as much of it as possible before the expiry date. There is no denying that Trump s dangerous for the world and that there is a distinct possibility of Trump losing control of his senses and going berserk many times during his tenure. So there is a requirement and a need for keeping a berserk President from plunging us into a holocaust.Even before he started his second term Trump was well sounded – by his `American Right deep state - with proposals that he would love to embrace. Yes indeed, the Donald was all set to put in place his plans to expand America`s nuclear war capabilities. His `Project 2025` going into `2026` is nothing other than a plan to create situations where he could use up some of the retiring arsenal available and justify his plans for large scale expansion of America`s nuclear war capabilities. His plan/announcement to increase America`s Defense Budget to a whopping 1.5 trillion Dollars is obviously a step in this direction.A question which should have been asked but was not asked during the Q & A was : `What happens if human civilization becomes extinct? `This is a very complex but interesting subject, and I am astonished that very few scientists or philosophers are even thinking about it. In this connection, I recall reading a book by the scientist (biologist) Rupert Sheldrake where he talks about `Morphic Resonance` which is a controversial hypothesis proposing that nature has a collective memory, where forms and behaviours are influenced by similar past patterns through "morphic fields," making the universe habitual rather than governed by fixed laws. So, If I stretch my imagination somewhat, making use of this interesting concept, I assume, after a gap of may be a hundred thousand years, may be more, may be less, who knows, the human civilisation may emerge again on the planet.I was pleasantly surprised to note that Annie has discussed this subject at length in the book. Her assessment that human life may emerge again on the planet in 24000 years looks convincing to me, and I will read more to understand how she arrived at the figure. As of now, I think I will revise my assessment from one hundred thousand to may be twenty thousand.But twenty thousand years is a long time, and mind you there is a massive waiting list after that. Whether we should wait patiently for that biochemistry to evolve again … or lose patience and hitchhike to another star system and hope for the best.Or … may be get inside termites … plenty of food available.A chilling thought … nevertheless.I believe the termites are among the strongest per unit volume.(For further reading about termites and their interactions with Aliens, refer to Arthur C . Clarke`s short story `Retreat from Earth` )The best option .. By far .. is to `Dismantle the Deep States of the world` and ensure continued existence of this extraordinarily intelligent life on the planet Earth.UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THIS MILLENIUM BE OUR FINAL MILLENNIUMAll in all, this is an excellent `eye opening book` that must be read by all the world leaders and people who matter. The World leaders should then arrive at a conference to discuss and resolve all the conflicts and wars on the planet. They should adopt a unified approach, discuss and address the issues from a human being perspective and not from the perspective of this or that nation, or this or that religion, or this or that culture, whatever.Peace on Earth will remain fragile unless humanity embraces a universal religion—a faith without borders or boundaries, infinite and timeless, in harmony with the laws of science. This universal religion will acknowledge that God is not a being apart but the Mind that pervades all existence. It will honor reason and revelation alike.The essence of religion, as I see it, is simple: to find peace through prayer and meditation, to live and let live, to be compassionate, and to care for the environment around us. There is nothing Hindu or Muslim about peace, nothing American or Indian about democracy, nothing Greek about the Pythagoras theorem.Truth belongs to everyone.As I mentioned earlier, I will provide a more detailed review in course of time. In the meantime, I am hoping for an interesting interaction with the author as well as with the readers of this book.

Good , nice reading during the present global scenario. The futility of nuclear war is described. Let peace prevail. Thank you.

Very Impressive I received goods before delivery date.Thanks Amazon 👍🏻👍🏻

Deterrence. That’s the whole “logic” behind harboring nuclear weapons—the idea that if all parties know that each has a gun on the table, no one will dare shoot. But what if a madman decides to shoot anyway? What happens when deterrence fails? That’s what Nuclear War: A Scenario explores.First and foremost, author Annie Jacobsen deserves plenty of credit for her extensive research. The book references a wide range of sources, including books, slide decks, articles, podcasts, and a substantial amount of declassified or publicly available military and administrative documentation. It reaches a point where you wonder how certain information is public?! Jacobsen even clarifies that revealing certain pieces of information would have been a violation of the US Espionage Act! Bravo!Even with the available information, Jacobsen does a fantastic job painting not just the grim picture that nuclear war could unleash, but also detailing how a response to a nuclear attack would look, how other nations would react, what a Super-EMP weapon would do, and how the nukes could be delivered. Just reading about the methodical nature of releasing Armageddon upon humanity—from the process of approving the launch of nukes to the military tech behind delivering them—is so beautifully elaborated that you just can’t put the book down.Speaking of not being able to put the book down, this book is the definition of a weekend read! It’s so rewarding that opening Instagram for 5 minutes feels less satisfying than reading a few pages of this! The book hooks you with the horror of a nuclear explosion at first, but then breaks down the entire war into three 24-minute sections, and you just can’t stop reading, flipping through pages to see the horror unfold!The book has plenty of takeaways. From Louis XV’s “Après moi, le déluge” ("After me, the flood") to Nikita Khrushchev’s “The survivors will envy the dead,” it’s full of excellent quotes that hit you like a metaphorical nuke and stick with you long after you’ve read them!The book is a work of fiction (and I hope that will be the case for centuries to come), but the cohesion of real-world information and insights brings it as close to reality as it possibly can! An excellent and easy read, and probably a must-read for all of us to remember that Armageddon is just a button press away and the horrors that currently lie dormant in silos and submarines.

Decent page quality, no bleed-through, and lots of well printed images between texts, although everything's in black and white. My only complaint is that the cover page could have been better. It should have had higher GSM, as it's very thin and bendy.

A unusual "on the edge of my seat" read. Sobering. Not a feel good book, but very interesting and informative. Well written!

A good point is that all descriptions are based upon academic facts.A bad point is that it doesn't describe people killing in this war.

Annie Jacobsen’s latest work is a masterclass in investigative journalism, offering a compelling deep dive into one of the most complex and dangerous topics of our time: the looming threat of nuclear war. Her meticulous research, backed by an impressive array of declassified documents and interviews, creates a comprehensive and authoritative narrative that sheds light on how global powers are preparing for this unimaginable scenario. Jacobsen’s writing is both informative and engaging, balancing technical detail with vivid storytelling. She pulls back the curtain on a world where cutting-edge science and military strategy converge, providing readers with a chilling but necessary understanding of the stakes involved.What makes Jacobsen’s book so powerful is not just the depth of her research, but her ability to humanize such an overwhelming topic. She doesn’t just present data and strategy; she explores the motivations, fears, and ethical dilemmas faced by the scientists, military leaders, and policymakers who are shaping the future of warfare. Jacobsen raises profound questions about the moral cost of pursuing technologies that could potentially end civilization, making her work not only a gripping read but a deeply thought-provoking one. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of global security and the evolving landscape of modern warfare.Thank you Annie!

O livro aborda de maneira envolvente o cenário perfeitamente possivel atualmente de uma guerra nuclear em escala, de uma maneira direta e precisão factual perturbadora.É daqueles livros que fazem você mudar a perspectiva do mundo e repensar a forma como encarar o dia a dia.

*Nuclear War: A Scenario* by Annie Jacobsen is one of the most terrifying and important books I’ve ever read—not because it's fiction, but precisely because it isn't. This is a non-fiction book built on meticulous research, interviews with military insiders, and declassified documents, yet it reads like a high-stakes thriller. What makes it so unsettling is that every moment, every escalation, every horrifying consequence is grounded in reality. There is no speculation here—only a sobering step-by-step account of what would unfold if nuclear war were to begin *today*.Jacobsen structures the book as a minute-by-minute scenario, and the format is brilliant. You’re pulled into a tightly wound narrative that shows just how fast decisions are made—and how little time world leaders actually have. The pace is relentless, the facts are razor-sharp, and the implications are devastating.As a reader, I was shocked by how close we are—*still*—to total annihilation. The smallest miscommunication, the wrong radar ping, a political misstep or cyberattack, and we could be seconds away from the end of human civilization. Jacobsen doesn’t sensationalize it. She doesn’t have to. The truth is harrowing enough.What stayed with me most was how helpless we would be once a launch order is given. The systems, protocols, and retaliatory measures in place are so rigid and fast-moving that once it begins, there’s no turning back. No diplomatic pause. No margin for error.This book doesn’t preach, but it demands awareness. It’s eye-opening, jaw-dropping, and, frankly, terrifying—but it’s also essential reading. Annie Jacobsen has done the world a great service by writing it. If you’ve ever believed that nuclear war was a Cold War relic or a distant hypothetical, *read this book*. It may be the most important wake-up call of our time.