The Doomsday Machine

By: Daniel Ellsberg

Narrated by: Steven Cooper

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

At the same time former presidential advisor Daniel Ellsberg famously took the top-secret Pentagon Papers, he also took with him a chilling cache of top secret documents related to America's nuclear program in the 1960s. Here for the first time he reveals the contents of those documents and makes clear their shocking relevance for today.

The Doomsday Machine is Ellsberg's hair-raising insider's account of the most dangerous arms buildup in the history of civilization, whose legacy - and renewal under the Obama administration - threatens the very survival of humanity. It is scarcely possible to estimate the true dangers of our present nuclear policies without penetrating the secret realities of the nuclear strategy of the late Eisenhower and early Kennedy years, when Ellsberg had high-level access to them. No other insider has written so candidly of that long-classified history, and nothing has fundamentally changed since that era. Ellsberg's analysis of recent research on nuclear winter shows that even a 'small' nuclear exchange would cause billions of deaths by global nuclear famine. Ellsberg, in the end, offers steps we can take under a new administration to avoid nuclear catastrophe.

Framed as a memoir, this thriller with cloak-and-dagger intrigue places Ellsberg back in his natural role as whistle-blower. It is a real-life Dr. Strangelove story but an ultimately hopeful - and powerfully important - audiobook.

©2017 Bloomsbury US (P)2017 Audible, Ltd

Speechless.

Before I started this book I always thought I know about the superpowers WMD abilities and capabilities, but was completely wrong. This book is a complete eye opener and I can only wish many people read this book. The fact that the superpowers has the power to destroy the whole world in an instant is absolutely unbelievable and yet true.

A must read for all of us

This is very special book. I did not know that, even today, should the President be incapicated certain military generals may authorize the use of atomic weapons.
But the most startling information are the number of people who will die with one
bomb. These numbers are in the millions. But equally terrible is the impact explosion of a hydrogen bond will have a profound impact on the atmosphere. The more explosions, the more the more likely that we may block out the sun and end life on earth as we now now it.
My only criticism is that the book is written in the first person.

disturbing listener beware you may lose sleep

I believe this book is something that everyone should have to read. I always knew nuclear weapons were dangerous but never to this extent. we need to dismantle nuclear weapons if this book doesn't convince you that we need to do that I don't know what will.

Terrifying, logical, clearly written

An excellent book on the history and present status of US nuclear war plans. Ellsberg's clear, crisp prose lays out the surreal and paradoxical nature of humanity's most dangerous creation. Spoiler: it's way too close to Dr. Strangelove for comfort.

Comprehensive, historical, & super interesting

There is so much information to digest here on a very intricate history of the world's approach to the use/non-use and general attitude toward all things nuclear weapons. I have a much greater appreciation of the pressure and burden that world leaders carry with regards to the responsibility around nuclear weapons. I also have a much greater appreciation for how things are presented to the greater population may not match the actual plans of the military or the governmental organizations behind the statements. We have been far closer to planet wide annihilation than I was aware of.

There is a missing piece of this story with regards to Mr. Ellsberg's prosecution or how the United States government handled the original leak of the pentagon papers. I was hoping that there was information here, but was disappointed that there is nothing at all. Perhaps this is still classified or handled in other books.

The focus of this book is his experiences as a civilian contractor from the Eisenhower administration and beyond. Really a fantastic listen.

Great

Assuming all the info is true, this is an illustrative and compelling work that makes us aware of present danger.

Excellent

This engrossing, scary, book should be read by everyone. Sadly it won’t have the impact the author hopes it will have, but if enough people read it maybe the movers and shakers at the top will at least try to resolve the problem which unbeknown to all of us, has been part of our lives for 70+ years.

Every American should read

A chilling and utterly sobering look behind the curtain. However terrible you may believe the threat of nuclear war is, you have underestimated it. Ellsberg is an insider since the Eisenhower administration who reveals the real dangers of the 2 nuclear doomsday machines currently still on a hair trigger. He gives a truly non partisan history and analysis that isn’t about Republicans or Democrats, Americans or Russians. It’s about humanity and our problem with nuclear bombs.

This book actually gives me hope. If more Americans read this, they will see that there IS a path to eliminating nuclear weapons that isn’t nieve—and in fact an urgent imperative is our species is to survive.

An Unbelievable Truth

Ellsberg is not viewed well by conservatives of which I am one. However, his report herein is the most sobering account of war planning I've read. you will be both frightened and angered at the hubris behind our nuclear planning. I'm driven to fact check his claims and to learn more about this important and secretive part of our defense.

Urgent for you to Read !

Behind the scenes planning for nuclear bomb use could destroy all civilization on Earth... not limited to the intended targets. Ellsberg worked in the White House with Top Secret clearances. He traveled to interview admirals and pilots in the field, who have ways to start nuclear war on their own without Presidental orders. We, as citizens of all nations, as well as policy planners, politicians, and military leaders, need to read (listen to) this book, in order to understand the background and operation of this dangerous and fragile system, so that we may carefully back out of it for the benefit of all of us.