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Chernobyl 01:23:40: The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster
Chernobyl 01:23:40: The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster
Chernobyl 01:23:40: The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster
Audiobook6 hours

Chernobyl 01:23:40: The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster

Written by Andrew Leatherbarrow

Narrated by Michael Page

4/5

()

About this audiobook

At 01:23:40 on April 26th 1986, Alexander Akimov pressed the emergency shutdown button at Chernobyl's fourth nuclear reactor. It was an act that forced the permanent evacuation of a city, killed thousands, and crippled the Soviet Union. The event spawned decades of conflicting, exaggerated, and inaccurate stories.

This book, the result of five years of research, presents an accessible but comprehensive account of what really happened-from the desperate fight to prevent a burning reactor core from irradiating eastern Europe, to the self-sacrifice of the heroic men who entered fields of radiation so strong that machines wouldn't work, to the surprising truth about the legendary "Chernobyl diver," all the way through to the USSR's final show-trial. The historical narrative is interwoven with a story of the author's own spontaneous journey to Ukraine's still-abandoned city of Pripyat and the wider Chernobyl Zone.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherTantor Audio
Release dateOct 11, 2016
ISBN9781515982852
Chernobyl 01:23:40: The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster

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Reviews for Chernobyl 01:23:40

4/5

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  • 3/5
    A very straightforward and downright spare account of the massive nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl. The author states early in the prologue that he wrote this book for his own sake, since there were very few accounts of the disaster. He researched the events leading up to the accident, the event itself, and the cleanup efforts, such as they are. He even took a trip to the location of the remains of the power plant to see and record what remains in the area.

    I recommend this book to those who are interested in the accident and the response, or lack thereof, of the Soviet Union.
  • 4/5
    While this particular audiobook wasn't groundbreaking by any means, it was a really well done "here are the basics" sort of book. Leatherbarrow discusses the events leading up to the disaster, how it all happened, the aftermath, and his own travel experience to the site itself. For someone who doesn't consider themselves a science nerd, he does a great job of explaining the logistics of a nuclear disaster in a way that is easy to understand (and that'll also have you googling to learn more!).
  • 4/5
    Interesting read after the HBO series. Pretty good job for a man that says he is not a writer. Recommended for all those that would like to know even more about the catastrophe.
  • 5/5
    This has been my first Chernobyl read. Interesting and informative. Well done.
  • 5/5
    Fascinating couldn't stop listening to this peppered account if a disaster
  • 4/5
    Written with an authority as well as fun curiosity this book is very good on the humanities and some of the technical fallout but not on the technical cause of the actual explosion. The narrator is great.
  • 5/5
    Very informative, both troubling and surprisingly enjoyable. This is due to his personal and highly descriptive, sometimes funny geeky travel story ("For some strange reason I'm excited about the prospect of becoming the first person to play Minecraft at Chernoybl"). his personal stories are combined with loads of historical accounts and explanations.
    On a serious note, a lot of information that isn't easy to find elsewhere. Recommended if this important and disturbing story interests you.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 3/5
    I listened to it after watching the HBO series, this book corrected some things that were simplified or even fabulated in the series. Description of the personal experiences of the author were to verbose at times.

    1 person found this helpful

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