One Second After by William R. Forstchen
|
List Price: Our Price: $13.97 You Save: $12.02 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $9.37 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of One Second After
Book Review: Scary but Excellent.
Summary: 5 Stars
Overall Grade: A+
I read Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank years ago and count in among my favorite books. It was a fascinating look at how humanity can come together and adapt to a completely new world. However, I was a child during the bulk of the cold war; I barely remember the Berlin Wall falling and Russia has almost always been Russia-not the Soviet Union. Because I have never felt a real threat from nuclear weapons, Alas, Babylon didn't frighten me as a realistic possibility.
One Second After is an entirely different read. I see myself and my family in the characters in the book and it is entirely real. Starvation, disease, clean water, and simple medicine are things we all take for granted and could be gone surprisingly quickly.
So, am I going to become a mountain survivalist? Most likely no...while I would love to have a farm and a large garden, I am a creature of the suburbs and have no illusions that I, and my family, would likely be among the first to die should the end come.
If there is one fault to the book, it is minor. The main character is a military historian and, with annoying frequency, compares the situation to "a movie he once saw" or "a famous painting of the Russian Revolution by..." or "a paper he once read while teaching at the military academy..." It isn't a major distraction but it did get on my nerves near the end of the book.
So....go and read the book-I highly recommend it. But have something happy to read right after..you'll need it because I will guarantee you'll get choked up at one point or another.
Audiobook Details
Run time: 13 hours, 21 minutes.
I thought the reader, Joe Barrett, was excellent. He didn't exactly "do the voices" but does somehow manage to instill a sense of personality into each character's lines. I do feel for him-he did have the unfortunate job of having to narrate James Patterson's The Murder of King Tut.
Book Review: Ghastly, foreboding, page-turner!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished reading this book and it was easily one of the most engaging novels that I have ever read! I read it cover to cover in one night. The lead character (a near biographical doppleganger to our author) is tough, thoughtful, authoritative, and yet completely human and flawed (at many points in the narrative he resorts to protective, yet perhaps selfish tactics to protect his own family) However, even in his flawed moments, he is at his most realistic. The vast majority of us, regardless of our claims to altruism, would also do dire things to protect loved ones.
The book is a true page turner. The rapid breakdown of societal norms and the descent of man is chilling. Oh how rapidly will the wolves of our society smell fresh blood. Nature will claim the weak without mercy, and the book doesn't shy away from delving into describing the abyss. Early on the book unflinchingly portrays how those that are not prepared for coping in the new world because they either lack the will, stamina, proper mentallity, or the skill-sets that it demands are swept aside. The point is driven home in the nursing home horrors and the "Carol the business woman" episode.
By far the scene that sticks in my head is when the protagonist attends to a mortally wounded female militia member. I had to put the book down as tears welled up in my eyes at that heart wrenching portion. It was utterly pitiful and mortifying.
I truly hope that those in our government that have written EMP off as a flight of fantasy, at least reconsider the possibility of its occurrance (especially with rogue states like North Korea seeking to get the most "bang for its buck" with its handful of nukes).
The bipartisan EMP Commission should be revived. Generals are always accused of fighting the "last war", lets make sure that will not be the case here.
Book Review: Scary and enlightening
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished this book, and I think I read it more quickly than I have read any book in a long time. I was deciding between this and three other books to bring on a long airline flight so I read the first chapter of each to see which drew me in the most. This one won hands down. Some books you just feel comfortable in right away. Perhaps it is because I am familiar with the geographical area, or maybe it was just the style of writing and immediate familiarity the author created with the characters. I found it to be immensely readable, and I felt invested in the characters' lives from the first chapter. As for the story itself, wow. I do not consider myself the type of person to prepare for the end of the world as such, but after reading this book, I definitely have given it some thought. Living in Florida I am used to the stockpiling of supplies we have to do prior to hurricanes, but I usually don't do that too far in advance. Now I think it might be wise to always be prepared like that. I recently tossed our rusty hand can opener when I bought a new electric one. Um, it's now on my list to pick up a new hand can opener at Target. I am not sure if I really believe this type of thing is likely to happen. I just don't know enough about the science and who has the ability. However, this story will definitely stay in the back of my mind and will likely affect me in ways I might not have considered prior. In fact the thought of it actually happening is truly terrifying to me. There are so many ramifications that no one is thinking about that this book brings to light. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes being aware of potential threats, enjoys stories of survival and sentimental character plots, and doesn't mind being frightened by what they read.Book Review: Jericho on Steroids
Summary: 5 Stars
Competing with classic "Earth Abides" and even the more contemporary "The Stand" would have most post-apocalyptic authors quaking in their boots. Apparently not this time.
Using neither virus or vampire the author plots this doomsday saga intelligently. Just some vague, unknown idiots who detonate EMPS letting our electrical gadgetry/consumerism dependence spell our doom. The story unfolded from a family's viewpoint as society crashes down around them. The family members are likeable and interesting, the one daughter being a Type I Insulin Dependent Diabetic. Being in the medical field and a doomsday saga junkie I hate to admit I had never thought about the immediate and longterm impact dismantling our electrical grid would have on insulin/dialysis/supplemental oxygen dependent patients. You can stock up on all your essential daily meds, canned food, water, propane tanks, but eventually the supply will run out. Even though I grew up planting gardens, milking cows, making butter, and being a farmkid I don't know how well I could revert to it after years of soft city living. The DVR not recording a favorite televison show is a crisis in my life today. The mere thought of my cellphone not working gives me an anxiety attack.
Fellow fans of the deceased television series "Jericho" will recognize many of the story threads. This book is "Jericho" on steriods. It has bulked up the storyline from the TV series and made it even more painfully recognizable. The author holds up a mirror to mankind and finds us wanting.
Although different from other science fiction/doomsday books I found it frighteningly realistic in premise, paced wonderfully and engaging to the last page.
Enjoy the read!
Book Review: Wildly entertaining...
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is wildly entertaining. I think of fiction as a dessert...and typically read non-fiction. However, this is one of those books that I literally have to finish in 1 or 2 nights. From the outset I like the premise that a historian like Newt Gingrich wrote the forward...and a military strategists wrote the epilogue. Instant credibility there coupled with the author's obvious experience and knowledge.
The book is a thriller...but also educates on a possible apoc scenario. Many reviewers on Amazon have already described the details of the book. Let me say it was worth the cost and my time because the author also weaves in interesting historical facts about long ago seiges, battles, and contemporary motion picture episodes. The author also users literally techniques to introduce other sources that I will research...I thought that was helpful without having to dig through a footnote page.
About 3/4 of the way through I thought the author had missed a big hole about the prisons...but he didn't disappoint. It seems to me controlling prison populations without a power grid would be a huge problem...wouldn't want to live near Jackson, MI.
From a somber perspective, this urban dwelling reviewer sees that aside from very modest preparations it would be a lost cause to attempt to survive for very long in such a scenario. The part of the book where a military man concedes that it would have been more "humane" to drop a thermonuclear device directly in a New York City instead of an EMP seems to hit home after reading this novel.
Buy this book to be delivered on a Friday so you can read it all night without adversly effecting your productivity.