Sample

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

One Second After

By: William R. Forstchen
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.90

Buy for $17.90

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A post-apocalyptic thriller of the after effects in the United States after a terrifying terrorist attack using electromagnetic pulse weapons.

In a small North Carolina town, one man struggles to save his family after America loses a war that will send it back to the Dark Ages.

Already cited on the floor of Congress and discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a book all Americans should read, One Second After is the story of a war scenario that could become all too terrifyingly real. Based on a real weapon—the electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—which may already be in the hands of our enemies, it is a truly realistic look at the awesome power of a weapon that can destroy the entire United States, literally within one second.

In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safe, and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future and our end.

©2009 William R. Forstchen (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[An] entertaining apocalyptic thriller....fans of such classics as Alas, Babylon and On the Beach will have a good time as Forstchen tackles the obvious and some not-so-obvious questions the apocalypse tends to raise." ( Publishers Weekly)

Featured Article: The 20 Best Survival Audiobooks for the Prepper in All of Us


Whether we’re focused on the apocalypse or just an ill-timed breakdown on the side of a particularly remote road, there’s something about imagining survival scenarios that can be addictive. On some level, we all wonder if we would have what it takes to pit ourselves against the worst the world can possibly offer and make it out alive. That’s why it’s no surprise that survival literature is so popular, and that the stories in the genre are so diverse.

What listeners say about One Second After

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    19,929
  • 4 Stars
    6,133
  • 3 Stars
    2,012
  • 2 Stars
    740
  • 1 Stars
    591
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17,663
  • 4 Stars
    5,341
  • 3 Stars
    1,670
  • 2 Stars
    379
  • 1 Stars
    255
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17,855
  • 4 Stars
    4,608
  • 3 Stars
    1,677
  • 2 Stars
    620
  • 1 Stars
    550

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A shocking reality adjustment to just how dependent we are to tech

A shocking reality adjustment to just how dependent we are on tech as an obese first class society.

Side affect of this book is also the gross negligence of our own health as a nation. We ingest highly processed foods pushed by big corporate giants and we have failed to educate our latest generation of children on basic essential skills. No mention of the possible or imagined affect on California but my guess is it would be much worse than the supposed Florida outcome.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Eye-opening to say the least

Wake up call for everyone to consider their contingency plans. Very entertaining, captivating and easy to identify with the main character. This trilogy series. could be made into a box office blockbuster.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Preview of a possible event

This book gave some great insight and very thought provoking ideas of what our world could/would look like after a major event.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling Story

A must listen for all who are concerned with the state of nuclear weapons and power. Could we be this fragile as a country?
A riveting story of humanity in the face of war and extinction.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Book

I liked it, but I really like the apocalyptic genre. This story is based around an EMP. So if you like books like Alas Babylon or the Going Home series then you'll most likely enjoy One Second After as well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A MUST LISTEN TO...Audible Book

One of the most important, scary, & riveting "listenings" I have experienced in a long, long time ... Very believable!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sobering

If you hear to this and don’t take stock of where you would stand without modern technology and things you take for granted, you weren’t listening. It could happen in a second.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Chilling

Stark fictional presentation of what could happen if our infrastructure isn’t hardened. Well done, stay vigilant!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I’m so depressed now

I don’t think anyone will be better off after reading this terribly sad book. The reality of this happening doesn’t seem that far fetched. I’m going to need a few days to recover from this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely phenomenal book and series

This book and the series that follow it are probably some of the best written series of books I’ve ever read. Absolutely enthralling and at times heartbreaking look at the western world after an EMP.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!