Based on the true story of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Midnight in Chernobyl is a riveting account of the lives of those who sacrificed everything to prevent one of history’s worst catastrophes. In April 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power station exploded, setting off a chain reaction that would release an estimated five hundred million Curies of radioactive material into the atmosphere. In their efforts to contain and repair the damage from what would become known as “the accident,” brave men and women risked their own lives while battling impossible odds. Midnight in Chernobyl tells their stories for the first time: from scientists like Valery Legasov, standing between 800 tons of live nuclear fuel and utter catastrophe; firefighters struggling against unprecedented levels of toxicity; helicopter pilots dropping sandbags onto raging fires; physicians holed up in improvised clinics dealing with wave after wave sick patients. As they fought futility with courage, these heroes turned an impending public health tragedy into a triumphāone that has saved countless lives since.
For who is this book for ?
This book is for people who are interested in science and engineering. It tells the story of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which happened in 1986. It is a riveting account of the lives of those who sacrificed everything to prevent one of history’s worst catastrophes.
Pros :
- The author has a detailed knowledge about the Chernobyl disaster and provides an in-depth, well-researched account of it.
- The book Midnight in Chernobyl is full of dramatic stories from people who were on the ground during the disaster.
- This book gives readers a clear understanding of one of history’s worst nuclear disasters and its aftermath.
Cons :
- The author spends too much time on describing the events that led up to the Chernobyl disaster and not enough on what happened after.
- The book is difficult to follow because it jumps around in time a lot.
- It’s extremely depressing, as most of the stories end in tragedy.
Learn more about the author
Adam Higginbotham is a journalist who has written for The New York Times, Wired, GQ, and many other publications. He is the author of two previous books: an acclaimed biography of Che Guevara, Man Out of Time; and Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base.
Reader Reviews
“This book is a bit of an odd mixture. It starts out as very detailed, scientific explanation of what happened at Chernobyl and the risks associated with nuclear power in general. However, it then quickly transitions into first-person accounts from those who were on the ground during the disaster. I thought this was really interesting juxtaposition and gave a well-rounded view of what happened.”
“This is an amazing book – one of the best I’ve read in years. It’s extremely well written, extraordinarily researched, and deeply moving. You will not be able to put it down.”
“The definitive account of the Chernobyl disaster.”
” Higginbotham masterfully weaves together the science, engineering, and human stories of Chernobyl…The result is a deeply researched, finely crafted work that should be read by anyone interested in history, public health , or disaster response.”
