Atoms and Ashes
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Atoms and Ashes
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Atoms and Ashes
Baillie-Gifford award-winner Serhii Plokhy's illuminating exploration of the atomic age through the history of six nuclear disasters.
In 2011, a 43-foot-high tsunami crashed into a nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan. In the following days, explosions would rip buildings apart, three reactors would go into nuclear meltdown, and the surrounding area would be swamped in radioactive water. It is now considered one of the costliest nuclear disasters ever. But Fukushima was not the first, and it was not the worst...
In Atoms and Ashes, acclaimed historian Serhii Plokhy tells the tale of the six nuclear disasters that shook the world—Bikini Atoll, Kyshtym, Windscale, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. Based on wide-ranging research and witness testimony, Plokhy traces the arc of each crisis, exploring in depth the confused decision-making on the ground and the panicked responses of governments to contain the crises and often cover up the scale of the catastrophe.
As the world increasingly looks to renewable and alternative sources of energy, Plokhy lucidly argues that the atomic risk must be understood in explicit terms, but also that these calamities reveal a fundamental truth about our relationship with nuclear technology—that the thirst for power and energy has always trumped safety and the cost for future generations.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Atoms and Ashes is a meticulously researched and enthralling study of nuclear disasters, highlighting the perils of the atomic age. Plokhy constructs a compelling case against nuclear power through gripping and revealing accounts of human error, systemic failures, and staggering heroism. The book is considered a superbly crafted, frightening history that challenges the advocacy of nuclear power as a solution to climate change.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780141997179
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 31 August 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 21.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 281g
Pages: 384
About the Author
Serhii Plokhy is the author of Chernobyl- History of a Tragedy, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize and the Pushkin House Book Prize, and the New York Times bestseller The Gates of Europe. His many acclaimed books, including The Russo-Ukrainian War, Nuclear Folly and Atoms and Ashes, have been translated into over a dozen languages. He is Professor of History at Harvard University where he also serves as Director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.
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