Eric schlosser is most famous for fast food nation 2000. Sep 17, 20 it reveals how even the most brilliant of minds can offer us only the illusion of control. The oscarshortlisted documentary command and control, directed by robert kenner, finds its origins in eric schlossers book and continues to explore the. Schlosser has spoken on the subject of nuclear weapon safety at the united nations, the us house of.
Schlossers disquieting but riveting book looks at every aspect of nuclear risk, examining problems with the command and control systems that. Eric schlosser describes command and control as a cold war book told through the eyes of ordinary service people, not policymakers. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read command and control. If you do think that, perhaps you shouldnt read eric schlossers extraordinary analysis of what he calls the illusion of safety. Schlossers book reads like a thriller, but its masterfully evenhanded, well researched, and well. Dec 11, 2014 his book fast food nation forever changed the way we think about what we eat. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety by eric schlosser. Schlosser is the author of the bestselling expose fast food nation, published in 2001.
Sep 15, 20 schlossers disquieting but riveting book looks at every aspect of nuclear risk, examining problems with the command and control systems that in theory were supposed to provide presidents with. Investigative journalist schlossers reefer madness. Eric schlosser detonates a truth bomb in command and control vanity fair deeply reported, deeply frightening. The lesson of this powerful and disturbing book is that the worlds nuclear. After reading eric schlossers new book, command and control, you will marvel that in this and many other nuclear accidents that have occurred over the years, there has never been an unintended. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, in which he details the ease with which an accident can occur when. He joins guest host steve roberts in studio to talk about his new book, command and control.
Sep 26, 20 eric schlossers command and control is part technothriller, part careful historical investigation. Nowadays or at least until november last year it is fashionable to having read schlossers junk food nation, and having thought it excellent, i decided to pick up command and control as a followup to rhodess the making of the atom bomb. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety ebook written by eric schlosser. Around that story he weaves an enormous amount of information about the us air force missile. Eric schlossers command and control probes the safety. The documentary will air on pbss american experienceon january 10th. At the core of the authors scrutiny is the suspensefully narrated back. In his book command and control, out in paperback just in time for christmas, he presents us with a deeply frightening portrait of a world where there are still about 17,000 nuclear weapons.
Sep 15, 20 the other weapons failsafe mechanismsthe devices designed to prevent an accidental detonationwere subverted one by one, as eric schlosser recounts in his new book, command and control. Watch command and control american experience official. Sep 17, 20 eric schlosser detonates a truth bomb in command and control, a powerful expose about america s nuclear weapons. 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 is the author of fast food nation and reefer madness, as well as the coauthor of a childrens book, chew on this. The 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. Eric schlosser talked about his book, command and control. 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.
Command and controlinterweaves the minutebyminute story of an accident at a missile silo in rural arkansas, where a single crew struggled to prevent the explosion of the most powerful nuclear warhead ever built by the united states, with a historical narrative that spans more than fifty years. Command and control was a finalist for the 2014 pulitzer prize history, a new york times notable book and bestseller, a time magazine top 10 nonfiction book, and won the gold medal award nonfiction from the 20 california book awards. A mythshattering expose of americas nuclear weaponsfamed investigative journalist eric schlosser digs deep to uncover secrets about the m. A groundbreaking account of accidents, nearmisses, extraordinary heroism, and technological breakthroughs, command and control explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn of the nuclear age. Eric schlosser is an investigative journalist and the author of fast food nation, reefer madness, and, most recently, command and control, which was a finalist for the pulitzer prize. A dramatic hourbyhour account of the damascus explosion is interspersed with analysis of.
Incidents schlosser discusses in the book include the 1980 damascus titan missile explosion and the 1961 goldsboro b52 crash. The author takes the story of the 1980 accident in the missile launch complex 3747 in arkansas. Sep 17, 20 investigative journalist eric schlosser explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn of the nuclear age. The documentarycommand 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. The chilling, concise history of americas precarious nuclear arsenal. A devastatingly lucid and detailed new history of nuclear weapons in the u. The upcoming 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. A mythshattering expose of americas nuclear weapons famed investigative journalist eric. How do you deploy weapons of mass destruction without being destroyed by them. Air force has been handling thousands of nuclear weapons for nearly 70 years without a major radiation accident. A mythshattering expos of americas nuclear weapons famed investigative journalist eric schlosser digs deep to uncover. Dec 15, 2014 if you do think that, perhaps you shouldnt read eric schlosser s extraordinary analysis of what he calls the illusion of safety.
Command and control is how nonfiction should be written louis menand the new yorker deeply reported, deeply frightening. Penguin books from famed investigative journalist eric schlosser. The other weapons failsafe mechanismsthe devices designed to prevent an accidental detonationwere subverted one by one, as eric schlosser recounts in his new book, command and control. Famed investigative journalist eric schlosser digs deep to uncover secrets about the management of americas nuclear arsenal. Dallas morning news eric schlosser s command and control is a sobering and frightening yet fascinating account of the unbelievable peril posed by repeatedly mishandled american nuclear weapons. 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. In command and control, he details explosions, false attack alerts and accidentally dropped bombs. Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of command and control, a groundbreaking account of the management of nuclear weapons from eric schlosser, author of fast food nation. From the very beginning of the atomic age, there has been a sense of this immense power just being.
Published by penguin books i think this book qualifies as the best thriller i have ever read and its all true. Command and control, by eric schlosser the new york times. Command and control reads like a characterdriven thriller as schlosser draws on his deep reporting, extensive interviews, and documents obtained via the freedom of information act to demonstrate how human error, computer glitches, dilution of authority, poor communications, occasional incompetence, and the routine hoarding of crucial information have nearly brought about our worst nightmare on numerous occasions. It reveals how even the most brilliant of minds can offer us only the illusion of control. Schlossers book reads like a thriller, but its masterfully evenhanded, well researched, and well organised either hes a natural genius at. Eric schlosser detonates a truth bomb in command and control, a powerful expose about america s nuclear weapons. You have to read eric schlossers brilliant, hairraising. Oct 01, 2009 command and control is a terrifying book. Like that book, his new one aims to pierce a false sense of comfort, in this case the. Eric schlossers command and control probes the safety of. 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. A dramatic hourbyhour account of the damascus explosion is. His book fast food nation forever changed the way we think about what we eat.
Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety. 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. Eric schlossers fast food nation was a hilarious and scary expose of the mcdonalds fast food culture in the u. Aug 11, 2014 eric schlosser, author of fast food nation, spent six years researching americas nuclear weapons. Eric schlosser at the height of the cold war in the american heartland, a combination of human error, aging equipment, mismanagement, and bad luck threatened to set off a nuclear weapon far more powerful than the. During the cold war, nuclear bombs fell out of the sky, burned up in plane crashes and were lost at sea. Eric schlosser detonates a truth bomb in command and control, a powerful. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, in which he details. Eric schlossers superb account of nuclear nearmisses reveals the absurdity of the arms war. From the very beginning of the atomic age, there has been a sense of this immense power just being on the verge of slipping out of our control. Sex, drugs, and cheap labor in the american black market, 2003, etc. S command and control is a similarly impressive feat of investigative journalism, although here the subject matter is not so lightheartedly amusing and is infinitely more terrifying than tales of unhealthy burgers produced in unsustainable conditions served up by exploited sweatshop workers to an army of the obese.
A mythshattering expose of americas nuclear weapons. Jul 03, 2014 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. 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. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety is a 20 nonfiction book by eric schlosser about the history of.
Schlossers disquieting but riveting book looks at every aspect of nuclear risk, examining problems with the command and control systems that in theory were supposed to provide presidents with. A new york times notable book of 20a work with the multilayered density of an. It depicts the urgent effort to ensure that nuclear weapons cant be stolen. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety 20. The documentary will also air on pbss american experience in early january 2017.
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