Command and Control

Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety

By: Eric Schlosser

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 20 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

A myth-shattering exposé of America's nuclear weapons.

Famed investigative journalist Eric Schlosser digs deep to uncover secrets about the management of America's nuclear arsenal. A groundbreaking account of accidents, near misses, extraordinary heroism, and technological breakthroughs, Command and Control explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn of the nuclear age: How do you deploy weapons of mass destruction without being destroyed by them? That question has never been resolved - and Schlosser reveals how the combination of human fallibility and technological complexity still poses a grave risk to mankind. While the harms of global warming increasingly dominate the news, the equally dangerous yet more immediate threat of nuclear weapons has been largely forgotten.

Written with the vibrancy of a first-rate thriller, Command and Control interweaves the minute-by-minute story of an accident at a nuclear missile silo in rural Arkansas with a historical narrative that spans more than 50 years. It depicts the urgent effort by American scientists, policy makers, and military officers to ensure that nuclear weapons can't be stolen, sabotaged, used without permission, or detonated inadvertently. Schlosser also looks at the Cold War from a new perspective, offering history from the ground up, telling the stories of bomber pilots, missile commanders, maintenance crews, and other ordinary servicemen who risked their lives to avert a nuclear holocaust. At the heart of the book lies the struggle, amid the rolling hills and small farms of Damascus, Arkansas, to prevent the explosion of a ballistic missile carrying the most powerful nuclear warhead ever built by the United States.

Drawing on recently declassified documents and interviews with people who designed and routinely handled nuclear weapons, Command and Control takes readers into a terrifying but fascinating world that, until now, has been largely hidden from view. Through the details of a single accident, Schlosser illustrates how an unlikely event can become unavoidable, how small risks can have terrible consequences, and how the most brilliant minds in the nation can only provide us with an illusion of control. Audacious, gripping, and unforgettable, Command and Control is a tour de force of investigative journalism, an eye-opening look at the dangers of America's nuclear age.

©2013 Eric Schlosser (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

A New York Times Notable Book of 2013

"A devastatingly lucid and detailed new history of nuclear weapons in the US...fascinating." (Time magazine)

"Schlosser's book reads like a thriller, but it's masterfully even-handed, well researched, and well organised. Either he's a natural genius at integrating massive amounts of complex information, or he worked like a dog to write this book. You wouldn't think the prospect of nuclear apocalypse would make for a reading treat, but in Schlosser's hands it does." Lev Grossman, Jonathan Franzen, The Guardian)

Stunning

What did you love best about Command and Control?

The story brings together the history, science and military facets of nuclear weapons, by building on an actual Titan ICBM accident.

What did you like best about this story?

Having served in the Strategic Air Command and kept B-52s aloft with live nukes, the stories were a revelation - so many accidents and near catastrophes - that one can only conclude we were saved from ourselves.

Any additional comments?

It is hard to appreciate the overwhelming threat that nuclear weapons posed in the 60s and 70s, and the relief at the end of the cold war.

But then, the weapons haven't gone away...

Chilling !

It's a miracle that we haven't had an accidental full-scale detonation of a H-bomb.

The author tears apart the myth that the military has the utmost safety standards for building, maintaining, storing and transporting nuclear weapons.

Heck, if I run my business the way the military runs its nuclear program, I would be in jail, for a long time.

The author clearly documents the stumbling way the military went through arming the nation to the teeth with dodgy nuclear weapons with a safety record that was criminally insane. The fact that none of those responsible have been prosecuted clearly shows the military-industrial complex power and reach.

Bureaucracy that refused to adopt higher safety standards, refused proper communication protocols during Korean and Vietnam wars, the battle between military and civilians over who should control nuclear weapons, and the stupidity of Lemay who got branded as a Nazi even though he fought against them... all are laid out bare.

I shudder to think what would have happened if an accidental detonation had happened. Heck, if such a thing had happened after 9/11, the US would be at war with nations that had nothing to do with it.

Nuclear safety is a myth.

One of the best books I own.

One of my all time favorites. I've listened to it a dozen times and am always amazed. Just so well done!!!!!

Scariest book I've listened to in a long time

After reading this book, I am surprised that we've never had any nuclear accident. The narration of this book is phenomenal.

Not only Entertaining, but important.

This book is an amazing look into the nuclear lense of a near atomic disaster here in the U.S. that most of us never knew happened. It's riveting real life tale. I highly recommend it.

Extremely informative and well-worth the read.

I've tried for six months to listen to this book, and just *cannot* get through it. I absolutely loved James McCaffrey's "Atomic Accidents", and several friends suggested "Command and Control". Try as I might - and have - I just can't get into it. I found the way it's written, jumping back and forth in time, then back and forth among various groups even in the same incident to be rather off-putting.

That said, it's a great book that has a lot of really interesting stories and information. As with "Atomic Accidents", you'll be left marvelling that we haven't blown ourselves up yet - and wondering when it'll happen. If you're interested in U.S. nuclear history, I'd recommend getting it.

Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes Entry

Connected the Dots!

Would you consider the audio edition of Command and Control to be better than the print version?

Yes. I listended to it straight through between work and sleep!

What did you like best about this story?

I worked munitions operations in the Strategic Air Command at a B-52 base. I have toured the Nevada Test Site, Chanute Aerpsoace Museum (with the missile maintenance training silos) and Titan II Missile Museum . I had experienced the day-to-day activitiy but I did not know much about the accidents, politics or contractor. I have a much better understanding of the big picture.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

The enlisted airmen!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

The bookcover is even the right color. Well done.

Exceptional and horrifying

This book is a marvel. It's a horror story, as well as a detailed history of the rise and proliferation of the nuclear state. Scott Brick again proves why he is one of the world's elite narrators. Bravo to his efforts. If nothing proves how fallable human beings are, and how merciful God is, this book does. Because disaster has been averted too many times to count, and most often, there is no explanation except for His benevolent hand.

Loved it... Narration just meh

I thought the book was excellent but the Narrator seemed awkward narrating this title. I would recommend this title to anyone that has interest in the Cold War arms race. Very informative and interesting.

Good information but a bit wandering

great information, but it's a bit wandering over time. using the Damascus incident as a framing story ends up a bit frustrating at times