Product Description

Were you terrified by films like Threads, The Day After and Fail Safe? Did Ronald Reagan and Maggie Thatcher scare you with their nuclear sabre-rattling? Did you not know whether to laugh or cry when the government published the Protect & Survive leaflets? Do you now worry that the Middle East or Indian sub-continent might spark a Third World War?

Nuclear paranoia has been around as long as the bomb itself and has enjoyed a colossal influence on popular culture. Films like Dr Strangelove, The War Game and Threads played out our worst fears. The bomb has also been featured in pop songs like Two Tribes and television shows from The Simpsons to The Young Ones. The authorities offered civil defence advice in the Protect & Survive leaflet, expertly satirised in the cartoon When The Wind Blows.

This book is a history of the nuclear bomb and how it's scared us to death. It includes analysis of the effects of significant moments in nuclear history including Hiroshima & Nagasaki, the Cuban missile crisis, Chernobyl and Star Wars. It also includes reviews and analysis of nuclear war films and other instances of nuke paranoia in pop music, television, literature and fashion.

You can also find out how many times we’ve come within an inch of an accidental nuclear war starting, where the Queen would be hidden if the bomb dropped and what the BBC plans to broadcast in a post-nuclear world. Discover the truth about the nuclear ambitions of states like Iraq and North Korea and how close terrorists are to nuclear capability.

Including exclusive interviews with Martin Amis and Karen Meagher, star of Threads, this fantastic book is the definitive political and cultural history of the nuclear age.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #359255 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

The Guardian
A diverting bite-sized cultural history of the nuclear age

Radio Five Live
Re-examines our recent nuclear history

Spike Magazine
A cracking book

Customer Reviews

OMG did i write this?!?!?!
After reading the introduction i immediately passed it to my partner and friend's to read who all looked up and exclaimed 'did you write this?.' Me and Chas are kindered spirts and if anyone has any contact details i would much appreciate it. A 'fun' over-view on a not so fun subject. I am writing my disertations on nuclear war and its paranoia effects and this was a great starting point for a hour read

Great Topic, well explained but the editing .......
As a topic close to my heart I couldn't wait to get hold of this book. Being born in the 1970's I missed the Cuban Missile Crisis, so it was good to read about it in bite-size chunks. Being a pocket book it glosses over some facts but deals with most topics well. The only complaint is WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EDITING? Having watched 'Threads' I know it states that after a nuclear war there will be 20-30 million corpses after a year lying around the UK, yet the book states there will only be 20-30. The grammatical errors go on and on and sometimes one can struggle trying to understand what the author is trying to explain. This is a shame, because it is obviously a subject very close to Chas' heart and he explains it very well, but thanks to a terrible example in editing, he has been badly let down. If however, you are interested in this subject, then buy it. Just be aware there are some areas which will be difficult to follow which are not the fault of the author.

This book is full of horrors. Editorial horrors.
Eek! Editors, please note that manuscripts need reading and correcting before publication. This book is full of spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and, worst of all, is factually incorrect on many subjects.