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One Second After  By  cover art

One Second After

By: William R. Forstchen
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
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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

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Thought Provoking No Doubt

Having been a career sailor I went through the EMP hardening drill of the 80's, since that time I've heard very little about it. I think it deserves another hard look and perhaps a little preparation.

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Horrible.Worst book ever.Poorly written.Childish!

What would have made One Second After better?

Anything. Everything. This is the worst written book in history and the reader is terrible. Truly a waste of money.

Would you ever listen to anything by William R. Forstchen again?

Absolutely not.

How could the performance have been better?

Unbelievably bad. Every voice made me cringe. The female voices are the worst I have ever heard.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

None.

Any additional comments?

This was basically written for power-hungry, mentally-challenged political neocons. The stereotypes were so blatant that the book seemed comical. To say that this book was written for imbeciles would be demeaning to Imbeciles.

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Disappointing

This is a very simple book, the story is predictable and very slow with LOTS of long descriptive passages about old war battles or patriotic Americana. The previous comments by readers about propaganda really do have a point, it often feels as though you are being lectured as to how to be a good American and it is chock full of 'we Americans are special, America is almost divinely great, we Americans are the promised people' type rhetoric. But even if you ignore the rhetoric its still not a great story. Its still very simply written, with no surprises, no challenges, no interesting writing. I found the main character hard to like, he is very conservative, a hypocrite with an almost cliche 'White Middle Aged Man' sense of entitlement. If you loved 'The Shack' and think Fox News is 'Fair and Balanced' then go ahead and read this, otherwise don't waste your money.

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This book will cost you money

After reading and listening to this book I became a true believer that this type of situation or a very similar situation is all too possible. I could not look at my kids without thinking I needed to prepare for something like this.

The author did a great job in telling a very plausible story.

You will sit in your driveway listening for just a little more.

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Can turn a non-smoker into one.

Ever played a drinking game from a book? Let's just say if you were to take a shot every time the protagonist lit up, you would die of alcohol poisoning. Other than that, the premise was cool. The story came up a bit short for me, but served its' purpose for getting attention of a possible EMP attack.

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alonzo

This book was not good enough to be ordinary. The publishers note was my guide to purchase, In can only assume they were discussing a different but similar plot, certainly not the book I purchased. Try as I might I can say nothing good about this book

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Couldn't stop listening to this one

This book not only opened my eyes to the possibilites, but gave me excellent ideas on things I need to consider in these troubled times. The story was good, characters were solid. I truly believe that were we to have this kind of incident happen here in the United States, it'd be a whole lot worse than the writer portrays. I will continue to prepare...

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Couldn't stop listening to this one

This book not only opened my eyes to the possibilites, but gave me excellent ideas on things I need to consider in these troubled times. The story was good, characters were solid. I truly believe that were we to have this kind of incident happen here in the United States, it'd be a whole lot worse than the writer portrays. I will continue to prepare...

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Great Book

I know it has the high powered political support in the beginning by Newt Gingrich but I wasn't impressed with that. The book didn't need that. The content was awesome and the story was great. It also carries plausibility in reference to the real world. Great Book!

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A wake up call

This book is not only entertaining - it's IMPORTANT. Everyone should read or listen to this book, and more importantly pass it on to a friend.

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