Review: A Short Story of Nuclear Folly by Rudolf Herzog

Book info:

Form: pdf e-book

Genre: non-fiction

Target audience: everybody interested in the history of nuclear materials and their usage
Translated by Jefferson Chase.

It's a second opinion; the first review, written by my fair Rameau who also lent me a copy of that book (mwah! thanks!), can be read here.

Synopsis:

When the physicist discovered the way how to use the process of fission in practice the humankind entered a truly Faustian bargain. On the one hand we were promised an unending source of energy and also some quite ingenious nuclear-powered machines. On the other hand we were given a constant threat that the world as we know it might cease to exist in a blink of the eye.

It didn't exactly help that the researchg was conducted with the WWII in the background. No matter whether the nuclear military tests have been performed in the East or in the West, by ruthless Stalin generals or the American ones, one thing repeats itself with a nauseated frequency: an utter disregard for the protection of the environment and, linked to that, the life and well-being of ordinary people, be them soldiers or civilians or both. Corners have been cut in safety because it was less expensive than…what exactly? Human life? Wildlife? The future of next generations? In fact this book can also be called “A Short Story of A Surprising Lack of Imagination”.

An induced nuclear fission event involving uranium-235 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What I liked:

If you think the topic is a bit heavy and this book should interest only nuclear scientists, historians and students, think again. Mr. Herzog did what he could to make his narration factual, colourful and dynamic at the same time. In my opinion he succeeded, presenting even those strictly technical issues in such a way that they can be understood – and enjoyed- by an ordinary reader. Personally I was able to read the book during three evenings (during a rather busy period of time, mind you) and it kept me interested most of the time. It also features great photographs, which can help you visualizing those exotic Kazakhstan steppes or Utah deserts. A preachy bit of edutainment? Perhaps yes, but of the highest quality – definitely the author not only knows what he is talking about but also he can make his narration compelling.

An example and a direct quote describing the situation after one of American nuclear explosions:

“A radioactive cloud drifted off toward St. George, 270 kilometers away from Ground Zero. For several hours, unsuspecting residents were showered with radiation. Many of the 5,000 “downwinders” who populated the town would later develop cancer—a late result of Harry’s fallout. Yet the authorities rejected the idea that the high levels of radioactivity in Utah could have anything to do with atomic tests in Nevada. (…) 
There is absolutely no doubt that Hughes knew about the potentially lethal effects of radiation exposure. He had co-financed a 1953 film, Split Second, that had been set in a nuclear testing range. The director of that film was none other than Dick Powell. Nonetheless, the two men sent their team out into the gleaming sands of the valley. Five thousand Indian extras were brought in for the monumental battle scenes, 1,000 horses galloped across the 120-degree heat of the landscape, and dozens of aspiring starlets hired to play concubines strolled around half-naked, fulfilling male fantasies.” 


In times when some irresponsible scientists have taken nuclear reactors and batteries with them wherever they went, be it to the bottom of the sea or to the peaks of the highest mountains you can never be overly concerned of what is happening in your backyard or closest neighbourhood. There is complacency and irresponsibility everywhere, including Europe, Japan and the United States and not mentioning the Middle East and Africa, creating a host of ethical problems.

No matter whether you like it or not, there is no escape from nuclear power. We will need it to appease our increasing appetites for energy the dwindling coal-seams or crude oil reserves cannot satisfy. That’s why such books are needed and should be read because they prove another obvious truth: you can’t trust people who are involved with the nuclear fission. Don’t delude yourself – they won’t take care of you and the environment, no matter who they are and what government or/and organization they represent. Yes, nuclear chain reactions release extremely radioactive fission by-products but I admit after reading this book I consider that issue to be actually a lesser challenge than the responsibility of people, using the nuclear power. So far we have been moderately lucky but how to create a workable long-term solution? You will be left with this question and more and no, it won’t make the outlook less black. Still it will make it real – and it is just a tip of the iceberg.

What I didn’t like:

I found some annoying typos in the text, numerous enough to be noticed even by a casual reader. While I don’t blame the author for them (I read the translated English version, not the German original) the editor and proof-reader should have been more thorough.

I also have to admit the last chapter was a bit less interesting and somewhat worse when it comes to the style than the rest of the book.

Final verdict:

A very good non-fiction position which actually taught me a lot. Highly recommendable – it will broaden your horizons while keeping you entertained. Still I warn you – after the lecture you might be a bit depressed.

Review: A Short History of Nuclear Folly by Rudolph Herzog

Synopsis:
In the spirit of Dr. Strangelove and The Atomic Café, a blackly sardonic people’s history of atomic blunders and near-misses revealing the hushed-up and forgotten episodes in which the great powers gambled with catastrophe. Rudolph Herzog, the acclaimed author of Dead Funny, presents a devastating account of history’s most irresponsible uses of nuclear technology. From the rarely discussed nightmare of “Broken Arrows” (40 nuclear weapons lost during the Cold War) to “Operation Plowshare” (a proposal to use nuclear bombs for large engineering projects, such as a the construction of a second Panama Canal using 300 H-Bombs) . . . Herzog focuses in on long-forgotten nuclear projects that nearly led to disaster.

Translated by Jefferson Chase.

"The problem, both in the West and behind the Iron Curtain, was a lack of imagination. No one was able to picture the worst-case scenario."

That was fun. Slightly preachy, but it comes with the territory of stating the obvious about dire things that threaten life on earth. Also, the author—or translator—likes to use the word ironically quite a lot which makes things a lot less ironic. This could have been an intentional choice considering the subject matter.

Herzog starts with a short personal history and an explanation. This book isn’t about the most well known nuclear events in our history—Hiroshima and Nagasaki are mentioned in passing only—but about the lesser known chain(s) of events that led humanity to where we are now.

He talks about German scientists who were high currency in the nuclear game between superpowers before and after World War II. He talks about centrifuges, disasters and cleanups, the myth of tactical nuclear weapons, one man’s obsession, and nuclear tests in Australia as well as in Alaska. He talks about inhumane tests done in the name of medical science. The evolution of nuclear power and lost nuclear warheads are mentioned as well.

But what I found most fascinating weren’t the obvious problems with nuclear power—there’s waste, lots of it, and its half-life is 80 million years—or the ethical questions that come with it, nor was I particularly enthusiastic to read about the doomsday machines. No, it was the pacemakers.

Nuclear powered pacemakers. No need for battery changes!

Tiny problem is what happens after you’re dead. How do the authorities keep track of those plutonium batteries and do they end up in cemeteries or perhaps burning the back of an unfortunate orderly carrying a bin bag to trash. Oh, wait, that was the other interesting story. What happens when a company, a hospital acts responsibly but the government authorities do not? Four people die and hundreds suffer from radiation poisoning. And the death toll is relatively low thanks to an enterprising physicist.

I am somewhat familiar with the subject but people who hated sciences in school shouldn’t be afraid to read this book. There are a very few technical details and those that remain in the book are only there to further illustrate the historical context of each nuclear folly.

Because this book is more about the history and human stupidity when it comes to taking responsibility for scientific breakthroughs and how they're applied. This book is about the dangers of letting military prioritise between human lives, nature, and fleeting glory in battle. Or worse than that, not even a victory in an actual battle, just a show of strength.

To learn from your mistakes or the mistakes of others, you must first study history.