Eric schlossers command and control probes the safety. Eric schlosser moves from big macs to nuclear accidents. Every nucleartipped missile is an accident waiting to happen. Eric schlosser s hefty, 600pluspage command and control. The us nuclear arsenal is a gigantic accident waiting to. The near misses are not a distraction from his account of high military strategy or an aside. Sep 19, 20 this freakish event is at the core of eric schlossers new book, command and control. The acclaimed investigative journalist eric schlosser brings the vietnam war into play several times in command and control. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety ala notable books for adults kindle edition by schlosser, eric. In this excerpt from the event, command and control, eric schlosser, acclaimed investigative journalist, author and producer, uncovers the dangerous history of the management of nuclear weapons. Eric matthew schlosser born august 17, 1959 is an american journalist and author known for his investigative journalism, such as in his books fast food nation 2001, reefer madness 2003, and command and control. The oscarshortlisted documentary command and control, directed by robert kenner, finds its origins in eric schlossers book and continues to explore the littleknown history of the management and safety concerns of americas nuclear aresenal. His detailed history of our decadeslong flirtation with apocalypsea relentless reminder that. Well the accepted probability of a nuclear disaster according to eric schlosser, author of the book command and control.
Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety by eric schlosser 20, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Oct 05, 2012 eric schlosser, the journalist and author of the bestselling fast food nation, has taken on the vexing issue of the control of nuclear weapons in a new book to be published by penguin press next year. Permissive action links and the threat of nuclear war. Eric schlosser, author of fast food nation, spent six years researching americas nuclear weapons. These stories, and many more, can be found in eric schlosser s command and control penguin, an excellent journalistic investigation of the efforts made since the first atomic bomb was exploded, outside alamogordo, new mexico, on july 16, 1945, to put some kind of harness on nuclear weaponry.
Schlosser, who earned a pulitzer prize in 20 for his work, has written a forceful indictment of american nuclear. Command and control by eric schlosser vietnam veterans. Nuclear weapons, the damascus incident and the illusion of safety is 1 in 1,000,000. Oct 25, 20 in military talk this sort of thing is known as a broken arrow, an accident involving nuclear weapons that falls short of causing risk of war, and schlossers book is about the several dozens of. Dec 23, 2016 eric schlosser on trumps tweets and nuclear war by john mecklin, december 23, 2016 as presidentelect trump tweeted in favor of expanding the us nuclear arsenal, eric schlosser explained why harsh nuclear rhetoric and insecurities in the american nuclear commandand control system pose a real danger of enabling armageddon. It would be impossible to fully replicate the depth of dread and disbelief that command and control eric schlosser s 20 book chronicling the air forces history of nuclear weapons mishaps. The book is primarily a book about the safety of nuclear weapons, the command and control system for us nuclear weapons and a detailed narrative of the disaster which destroyed a titan ii missile at site 3747 near damascus, arkansas in 1980. Eric schlosser, the journalist and author of the bestselling fast food nation, has taken on the vexing issue of the control of nuclear weapons in a new book to be published by penguin press next. Dec 23, 2016 eric schlosser on the lack of security surrounding nuclear weapons, the vulnerability of their safeguards, and the possibility of nuclear war with russia.
After reading eric schlosser s command and control. Eric schlosser has written a book which should be read by everybody. Sep 15, 20 you have to read eric schlossers brilliant, hairraising book on americas nuclear mishaps his sixyear investigation will scare the daylights out of you. Fast food nation author will return with book on nuclear weapons eric schlosser describes command and control as a cold war book told through the eyes of. In command and control, eric schlosser investigates the safety of stored nuclear warheads. Fast food nation author will return with book on nuclear weapons. For anyone who thinks the end of the cold war lessened the danger of nuclear conflict, schlosser says, the opposite. Nov 04, 2015 todays nuclear dilemma in a paper just released by the bulletin of the atomic scientists entitled, todays nuclear dilemma, eric schlosser considers the possible consequences of a new nuclear arms race, which now appears to be underway.
Eric schlosser on trumps tweets and nuclear war by john mecklin, december 23, 2016 as presidentelect trump tweeted in favor of expanding the us nuclear arsenal, eric schlosser explained why harsh nuclear rhetoric and insecurities in the american nuclear commandand control system pose a real danger of enabling armageddon. Barnes and noble the lesson of this powerful and disturbing book is that the worlds nuclear arsenals are not as safe as they should be. Sep 26, 20 in command and control, eric schlosser investigates the safety of stored nuclear warheads and lists incidents when disaster was narrowly averted, as in damascus, ark. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, eric schlosser, author of fast food nation, turns his formidable investigative talent on the cold war and americas development and deployment of nuclear weapons. Mentioning harrowing mishaps in the history of the american atomic arsenal, schlosser singles out one for detailed dramatization, the explosion in 1980 of a titan ii missile. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident and the illusion of safety. The author takes the story of the 1980 accident in the missile launch complex 3747 in arkansas.
A chilling, concise history of americas precarious nuclear arsenal. Sep 17, 20 command and control ebook written by eric schlosser. Command and control shows how cold war priorities, pervasive secrecy and public ignorance about the volatility of radioactive material have led to an false illusions of safety. The threat of nuclear weapons has never really disappeared. Eric schlosser is the author of command and control. Schlosser in an investigative journalist most famous for his book, fast food nation, but he has more recently been exploring the dangers of our current, worldwide nuclear weapons situation. Eric schlosser on trumps tweets and nuclear war bulletin. In command and control, he details explosions, false attack alerts and accidentally dropped bombs. Its like a whole book about penicillin that only covers its side effects. Some airmen were killed and injured, but since the warhead didnt detonate, the safety system appeared to have worked.
Eric schlosser was born on august 17, 1959 in new york city, new york, usa. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety ebook written by eric schlosser. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, which was a pulitzer prize finalist. Excerpt from eric schlossers terrifying book on nukes and a. This scary new film shows why americans should be very. Browsing the book bin at costco is dangerous, especially when you walk out the door with a 640 page tomb. Aug 11, 2014 eric schlosser, author of fast food nation, spent six years researching americas nuclear weapons. He has been married to shauna redford since october 5, 1985. Schlossers conclusions, on the other hand, are clear. Nuclear weapons, the damascus incident, and the illusion of safety penguin, 632 pp. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety selected as one of the new york times most notable books of 20. Eric schlosser is the author of the new york times bestsellers fast food nation and reefer madness.
Fast food nation author will return with book on nuclear. Accounts of potential disasters, carefully reconstructed from the files and from interviews with old servicemen, punctuate schlossers grand narrative of the united states attempts to manage nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, from 20, and a producer of the documentary command and control.
He is a producer and writer, known for there will be blood 2007, food, inc. He avoids the twin traps of falling into antinuclear polemicism or of writing military techno porn and the resulting impeccable balance and avoidance of sharpening axes magnifies the books impact. His work has appeared in the atlantic monthly, rolling stone, the new yorker, vanity fair, and the nation. The oscarshortlisted documentary command and control, directed by robert kenner, finds its origins in eric schlosser s book and continues to explore the littleknown history of the management and safety concerns of americas nuclear aresenal. Eric schlosser and the illusion of nuclear weapons safety. That also applies to the united states nuclear weapons. Oct 15, 20 in his gripping new book command and control, eric schlosser shows that the united states has often relied on what he calls the illusion of safety when it comes to nuclear weapons. A new book explores the alarming threat of accidental nuclear detonations.
Nuclear war is a very important topic and schlosser delivers a well researched entertaining history from the angle of nuclear weapon safety. The us nuclear arsenal is a gigantic accident waiting to happen. For more on nuclear weapons from eric schlosser, you can find his. Oct 07, 20 every nucleartipped missile is an accident waiting to happen new history of nuclear weapons control and lack thereof cites national security archive documents on war plans, nuclear accidents, and command systems. Eric schlosser s most popular book is fast food nation. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety 20. Aug 11, 2014 easily the most unsettling work of nonfiction ive ever read, schlossers sixyear investigation of americas broken arrows nuclear weapons mishaps is by and large historicalthis stuff is top secret, after allbut the book is beyond relevant. Eric schlossers command and control probes the safety of. The documentarycommand and control, directed by robert kenner, finds its origins in eric. Eric schlosser has 22 books on goodreads with 369637 ratings.
Although the cold war is now more than 20 years over, the us still has an arsenal of 4,650 nuclear weapons, aimed at russia, china, north korea, syria and iran, with potential to swivel round at. Eric schlosser describes command and control as a cold war book told through the eyes of ordinary service people, not. Eric schlosser and the illusion of nuclear weapons safety eric schlosser and the illusion of nuclear weapons safety. Author eric schlosser and the cover of his book command and control. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety eric schlosser read it in hardcover at an investment of 640 pages thick with it. Dec 15, 2014 schlosser hurriedly put aside studying space warfare in order to write an investigative piece about nuclear war. Command and control by eric schlosser vietnam veterans of. As its title implies, schlosser s book also examines the policies and philosophies of the. Eric schlossers superb account of nuclear nearmisses reveals the absurdity of the arms war, writes nick cohen skip to main content the guardian back to home.
Eric schlosser is a playwright, filmmaker, and journalist best known for his investigative reporting. In military talk this sort of thing is known as a broken arrow, an accident involving nuclear weapons that falls short of causing risk of war, and schlossers book is about the several dozens of. Schlosser is the author of the bestselling expose fast food nation, published in 2001. If we dont slash our nuclear arsenal, a major city is going to be destroyed author eric schlosser on americas terrifying history of atomic mishaps.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Is the chance of a nuke war getting more likely every day. That incident, which led to an antinuclear movement in britain, where the plane was bound, is one of many stories eric schlosser, the author of fast food nation, tells in command and control. Dec 23, 2016 that also applies to the united states nuclear weapons. Incidents schlosser discusses in the book include the 1980 damascus titan missile explosion and the 1961 goldsboro b52 crash. Eric schlosser on nuclear weapons future of life institute.
Sep 26, 20 author eric schlosser and the cover of his book command and control. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety is a 20 nonfiction book by eric schlosser about the history of nuclear weapons systems in the united states. Unfortunately, the command and control of americas nuclear weapons has been far from 100% perfect, as investigative journalist eric schlosser points out in his latest book command and control. The subsequent book is based on interviews with those who ran americas nuclear enterprise from the bottom up, and on many thousands of pages of documents obtained through the freedom of information act. Nuclear weapons outlast cold war local news for bismarck. Its critical reading in a nation with thousands of nukes still on hairtrigger alert.
During the first minutes of the summit at santa fes historic lensic theater, eric schlosser, author of the book command and control. Fast food nation 2001, reefer madness 2003, and command and control. Command and control, by eric schlosser the new york times. As a filmmaker, schlosser was involved with two films that premiered at the 2016 tribeca film festival. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident and the illusion of. After the cold war ended, most of the world supported calls to reduce nuclear arsenals, and such a. Sep 15, 20 as far as schlosser can tell, the american arsenal is safer than it used to be though some troubling weak spots remain, and since the end of the cold war we have stepped back from the nuclear brink. Jan 06, 2015 in this excerpt from the event, command and control, eric schlosser, acclaimed investigative journalist, author and producer, uncovers the dangerous history of the management of nuclear weapons. Schlosser relates tales of murphys law writ large, errors and random events that but for timely intervention, great ingenuity and courage, and a generous amount of pure luck might have detonated a nuclear weapon or even launched a nuclear war. None the less this was excellent and consumed it greedily. He avoids the twin traps of falling into anti nuclear polemicism or of writing military techno porn and the resulting impeccable balance and avoidance of sharpening axes magnifies the books impact. Sep 15, 20 if we dont slash our nuclear arsenal, a major city is going to be destroyed author eric schlosser on americas terrifying history of atomic mishaps. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read command and control.