Annie Jacobsen

I just want people to know nuclear war is insane. And every source I interviewed for this book, from Secretary of Defense, you know, all retired, nuclear subforce commander, STRATCOM commander, FEMA director, on and on and on, nuclear weapons engineers, they all shared with me the common denominator that nuclear war is insane.

I just want people to know nuclear war is insane. And every source I interviewed for this book, from Secretary of Defense, you know, all retired, nuclear subforce commander, STRATCOM commander, FEMA director, on and on and on, nuclear weapons engineers, they all shared with me the common denominator that nuclear war is insane.

You know, first millions, then tens of millions, then hundreds of millions of people will die in the first 72 minutes of a nuclear war. And then comes nuclear winter where the billions happen from starvation. And so the shock power of all of this is meant for each and every one of us to say, Wait, what? This actually exists behind the veil of national security.

You know, first millions, then tens of millions, then hundreds of millions of people will die in the first 72 minutes of a nuclear war. And then comes nuclear winter where the billions happen from starvation. And so the shock power of all of this is meant for each and every one of us to say, Wait, what? This actually exists behind the veil of national security.

You know, first millions, then tens of millions, then hundreds of millions of people will die in the first 72 minutes of a nuclear war. And then comes nuclear winter where the billions happen from starvation. And so the shock power of all of this is meant for each and every one of us to say, Wait, what? This actually exists behind the veil of national security.

And I don't know, you know, most people do not think about nuclear war on a daily basis. And yet hundreds of thousands of people in the nuclear command and control are at the ready in the event it happens.

And I don't know, you know, most people do not think about nuclear war on a daily basis. And yet hundreds of thousands of people in the nuclear command and control are at the ready in the event it happens.

And I don't know, you know, most people do not think about nuclear war on a daily basis. And yet hundreds of thousands of people in the nuclear command and control are at the ready in the event it happens.

In the words of Richard Garwin, who was the nuclear weapons engineer who drew the plans for the Ivy Mike thermonuclear bomb, the first thermonuclear bomb ever exploded in 1952, Garwin shared with me his opinion that all it takes is one nihilistic madman with a nuclear arsenal to start a nuclear war. And that's how I begin the scenario.

In the words of Richard Garwin, who was the nuclear weapons engineer who drew the plans for the Ivy Mike thermonuclear bomb, the first thermonuclear bomb ever exploded in 1952, Garwin shared with me his opinion that all it takes is one nihilistic madman with a nuclear arsenal to start a nuclear war. And that's how I begin the scenario.

In the words of Richard Garwin, who was the nuclear weapons engineer who drew the plans for the Ivy Mike thermonuclear bomb, the first thermonuclear bomb ever exploded in 1952, Garwin shared with me his opinion that all it takes is one nihilistic madman with a nuclear arsenal to start a nuclear war. And that's how I begin the scenario.

So, the way it starts is in space. Meaning, the U.S. Defense Department has a early warning system. And the system in space is called SIBRS. It's a constellation of satellites that is keeping an eye on all of America's enemies so that...

So, the way it starts is in space. Meaning, the U.S. Defense Department has a early warning system. And the system in space is called SIBRS. It's a constellation of satellites that is keeping an eye on all of America's enemies so that...

So, the way it starts is in space. Meaning, the U.S. Defense Department has a early warning system. And the system in space is called SIBRS. It's a constellation of satellites that is keeping an eye on all of America's enemies so that...

the moment an ICBM launches, the satellite in space, and I'm talking about one-tenth of the way to the moon, that's how powerful these satellites are in geosync, they see the hot rocket exhaust on the ICBM in a fraction of a second after it launches, a fraction of a second. And so there begins this horrifying policy called Launch On Warning, right? And that's the U.S.

the moment an ICBM launches, the satellite in space, and I'm talking about one-tenth of the way to the moon, that's how powerful these satellites are in geosync, they see the hot rocket exhaust on the ICBM in a fraction of a second after it launches, a fraction of a second. And so there begins this horrifying policy called Launch On Warning, right? And that's the U.S.

the moment an ICBM launches, the satellite in space, and I'm talking about one-tenth of the way to the moon, that's how powerful these satellites are in geosync, they see the hot rocket exhaust on the ICBM in a fraction of a second after it launches, a fraction of a second. And so there begins this horrifying policy called Launch On Warning, right? And that's the U.S.

counterattack, meaning the reason that the United States is so ferociously watching for a nuclear launch somewhere around the globe is so that the nuclear command and control system in the U.S. can move into action to immediately make a counterstrike. Because we have that policy, launch on warning, which is exactly like it says. It means the United States will not wait to absorb a nuclear attack.

counterattack, meaning the reason that the United States is so ferociously watching for a nuclear launch somewhere around the globe is so that the nuclear command and control system in the U.S. can move into action to immediately make a counterstrike. Because we have that policy, launch on warning, which is exactly like it says. It means the United States will not wait to absorb a nuclear attack.

counterattack, meaning the reason that the United States is so ferociously watching for a nuclear launch somewhere around the globe is so that the nuclear command and control system in the U.S. can move into action to immediately make a counterstrike. Because we have that policy, launch on warning, which is exactly like it says. It means the United States will not wait to absorb a nuclear attack.