Chernobyl

The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe

By: Serhii Plokhy

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction winner, 2018

A Chernobyl survivor and the New York Times bestselling author of The Gates of Europe "mercilessly chronicles the absurdities of the Soviet system" in this "vividly empathetic" account of the worst nuclear accident in history (Wall Street Journal).

On the morning of April 26, 1986, Europe witnessed the worst nuclear disaster in history: the explosion of a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet Ukraine. Dozens died of radiation poisoning, fallout contaminated half the continent, and thousands fell ill.

In Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy draws on new sources to tell the dramatic stories of the firefighters, scientists, and soldiers who heroically extinguished the nuclear inferno. He lays bare the flaws of the Soviet nuclear industry, tracing the disaster to the authoritarian character of the Communist party rule, the regime's control over scientific information, and its emphasis on economic development over all else.

Today, the risk of another Chernobyl looms in the mismanagement of nuclear power in the developing world. A moving and definitive account, Chernobyl is also an urgent call to action.

©2018 Serhii Plokhy (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"A masterful account of how the USSR's bureaucratic dysfunction, censorship, and impossible economic targets produced the disaster and hindered the response."—New York Review of Books

"Gripping, meticulously researched...[Mr. Plokhy] mercilessly chronicles the absurdities of the Soviet system and the arrogance of its apparatchiks. But the fact that he grew up fewer than 500 kilometers south of Chernobyl probably accounts for his vividly empathetic descriptions of the people on the ground—the plant managers and employees, the firefighters, soldiers and others—who risked their lives to contain the damage."—Wall Street Journal

"The bare outline of the Chernobyl fire and the Soviet silence have been well covered...Mr. Plokhy, who directs the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard, adds much detail to the...construction that caused the failure, and the false assignment of blame to operating engineers...[His] most telling disclosures deal with how the Soviet subterfuges played a major role in Ukraine's decision to become an independent nation once the Soviet Union disintegrated."—Washington Times

this is more of a political then scientific histor

This is more of a political than scientific history of Chernobyl. it does a good job of showing how the Chernobyl disaster help to lead to the dissolution of the USSR.

Better to listen to rather than read.

Seems accurate. Historically informative . Covers many angels . Technical but that is the nature of the subject.

An ominous account

the book covers the many levels of trajedy and ultimate consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. All of which were made worse by bureaucracy and the culture of secrecy that existed in the USSR.

Awesome in depth and detailed.

A very enjoyable listen with detailed information. Listening to this after just watching the recent mini series was a great wrap up.

A good reminder

The book encourages the reader to look at the history of Chernobyl with discernment as it explores the nuances of how it is connected to Ukrainian sovereignty and how we view nuclear power post Pripyat and post Fukushima

Historical

It was very interesting to hear the history of the nuclear disaster, and to also learn how the disaster was one of the factors in the demise of the USSR. I hope, as the author suggests, that lessons are learned from this going forward as more and more reactors are being developed.

Engaging history

Fantastic performance and details I never knew about the disaster and aftermath. I recommend it.

A fantastic journey and unstoppable flow

The author, and ulimately the narrator, take you on a journey through the backstory and geo political history of what is the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. I simply could not stop listening and this audiobook consumed every moment I could listen in less than two weeks. Will definitely explore more works by each the author and narrator.

A Warning For Society

I missed the HBO series, so I bought the book. I was pleasantly surprised to learn what went on behind the scenes, that we never heard about. Another book that made me want to keep driving.

Thorough enough to be a bit dry at times.

Thorough enough to be a bit dry at times, but in a good way. It is a history. It is treated respectfully and supported with facts, figures, and sources.