**Gone in 60 Minutes **
“Nuclear War, A Scenario” begins with the premise of the United States being entirely obliterated. This could only happen by a nuclear strike from Russia. The author traces this line of reasoning from its inception, setting the stage for an exploration of geopolitical tensions and catastrophic warfare.
This book is not a lullaby, as I found out last night awake at 2am. Despite a compelling narrative, the book sometimes feels more like a speculative fiction than a plausible scenario.
The hypothesis relies on a Nero-style leader ready to commit to self and global immolation, which is a stretch. This is underscored by a misapplied historical reference, “Après moi, le déluge,” which the author uses to suggest a kind of reckless disregard following leadership failure. Originally attributed to King Louis XV, the phrase here is repurposed to discuss nuclear strategy, but without the historical context.
Realistically, the likelihood of Russia launching a full-scale nuclear strike before seeing missiles hit ground, knowing it would be a pyrrhic victory at best, is slim—perhaps as low as 1 in 100. Such an action would be tantamount to national suicide.
Overall, while the scenario is gripping and the analysis is intriguing, the probabilities it presents feel exaggerated. Should we tone down our nuclear plans? Probably. Will I lose sleep tonight over it? Probably not.