Helpful Score: 6
This is a very thought provoking book. The end of the world (the United States, anyway) from an entirely different perspective. Not by a nuclear blast, but by stopping every single piece of electronics, as well as all computers. It was stunning to see just how much of our day to day life now depends on tiny computer chips. I liked that the book focused on one isolated small town and its efforts to survive. This story would make a great book club discussion. Good book.
Helpful Score: 5
This book is a public service announcement about the danger of an EMP device to America in the form of fiction. The most successful element going for the book is the convincing case it presents for an EMP attack being an imminent threat to America. Life as we know it in America would be shot back into the dark ages if one of our enemies was successful in detonating a nuke 25 miles above the ground. Apparently when a nuclear device is blown up at the right height it generates a pulse that fries virtually all electronics. Cars, cell phones, electricity, running water, and many other conveniences would stop functioning. The story revolves around this doomsday concept.
It is not especially gripping or skillfully written. As people start dying it had little pull on my heartstrings because I was not connected to the characters. Basically, you think about what would happen to your loved ones if all resources were used up and new resources (food, medicine) could not be shipped in. So Ill save you some time; buy canned foods, guns, bullets, medical supplies, etc if you are worried about a disaster situation so you can have some peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
It is not especially gripping or skillfully written. As people start dying it had little pull on my heartstrings because I was not connected to the characters. Basically, you think about what would happen to your loved ones if all resources were used up and new resources (food, medicine) could not be shipped in. So Ill save you some time; buy canned foods, guns, bullets, medical supplies, etc if you are worried about a disaster situation so you can have some peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Helpful Score: 2
A bit tedious. The point of the book: To provide a fictitious story that would inform the reader about the dangers of an EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) attack on the US. An EMP would overload all electronic circuitry in cars, phones, etc....
It should have been a hint the story would be in great parts exposition when we learn the main character is a college professor. Pages upon pages feature the professor talking about the post-EMP problem in town meetings, at the office, at home, at the Quicky Mart, and everywhere more than two people might gather.
His small town bands together, in no small part, to the professor's sense of the events. The rest of the world goes chaos where life is nasty, brutish and short. I think he could have conveyed the same message in a shorter novel. I also felt 2-3 weeks was too short of time for people to go malnourished.
The beginning of the Tom Cruise movie 'War of the Worlds' has an EMP attack. Author appears to have taken some inspiration from this film, the parts without aliens. Expect some subtle politics, like, liberal Dems who quickly succumb when they can't feed off the government. Newt Gingrich writes the introduction.
It should have been a hint the story would be in great parts exposition when we learn the main character is a college professor. Pages upon pages feature the professor talking about the post-EMP problem in town meetings, at the office, at home, at the Quicky Mart, and everywhere more than two people might gather.
His small town bands together, in no small part, to the professor's sense of the events. The rest of the world goes chaos where life is nasty, brutish and short. I think he could have conveyed the same message in a shorter novel. I also felt 2-3 weeks was too short of time for people to go malnourished.
The beginning of the Tom Cruise movie 'War of the Worlds' has an EMP attack. Author appears to have taken some inspiration from this film, the parts without aliens. Expect some subtle politics, like, liberal Dems who quickly succumb when they can't feed off the government. Newt Gingrich writes the introduction.
Helpful Score: 1
A heart wrenching story of a potential disaster that will leave everyone alive -- but without much of our modern tools. This is far from a 'cozy catastrophe'. I really felt the struggle of the characters and the extreme efforts they made to survive.
I liked it even though I think the story is a bit improbable....I hope.
Outstanding must read book. From a fiction standpoint, very well written, although I actually would like more chapter breaks. This book is very thought provoking, reading about and thinking about the total breakdown of society because of an attack of unknown origin made me want to go out and buy survival supplies. The chaos described in this book is very possible...and very scary. This book should be considered required reading
Wow, an eye opener. We are preparing for an EMP now as much as any one can. Really enjoyed this and highly recommend so everyone understands what our world would be without electicity and electronics, etc.
What a page turner! I could not put it down. A fascinating premise, great characters, thought-provoking. I highly recommend that you give this book a try. I just read it a second time. That should speak for itself!
This is a hard one to review.
I hate it because it's done by an ex-military, right-wing, flag-waving Southerner.
Oh wait, no, the protagonist is ostensibly from New Jersey, so he's the 'outcast Yankee' of his South Carolina town, but he's a college history professor - who apparently knows EVERYTHING about EVERY major period in history- from battles to sociology to politics - all while referencing "I saw it on the History Channel" at town leader meetings (he never opens a book.)
Still, it is TERRIFYINGLY well researched. Because, yeah, take away everything electrical (from cars to refrigerators to communication)... and in 10 days it would be anarchy. We ARE a nation that over-specializes, and we are removed from food production, medication, and even fixing things that break around the house.
The author details it all in pretty bleak terms - panic, insanity, cults, disease, mass starvation, feudal (and futile) behavior. I could see it happening, if you take the dark view of humanity. This book made me cry a lot.
It took reading this review over at "Goodreads" by "Timmy" to give me some perspective:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/91704194
Because, yes, every adult in the tiny town is a gun-toting, ex-military "this is America-dammit!" flag waver or married to one. (And no, they're not near a military base.) The average adult is not going to know/understand/submit to "military triage" conditions. No one is going to take the 'long view.' Even the kindly old doctor in town has an extensive knowledge of third world bacteriology and historical perspective on everything from medieval black plague statistics to WWII Russian cholera outbreaks in the general population.
The general population is apparently both meek and mailable in town, and all 'outsiders' are panicky, selfish, and apparently easily led to join mass cults or roving 'Mad Max' bands of criminals & insane prophets (sociopathic charismatics off their meds.)
And yes, it's lazy of the author to do all the 'action' sequences as ordered, post-happening flashbacks: "Glad we survived that one! Did you know x,y & z happened too?"
The thing "Timmy" didn't articulate was the utter lack of help from the world community. (Although there is allusions to the unknown EMP adversary somehow taking out Western Europe and Japan simultaneously as well- talk about a lucky strike!) NO ONE helps the U.S. (There is one bit at the very end in a conversation that apparently Mexico 'repatriated' Texas and the surrounding states - oh and China showed up on the Western seaboard with aide, but that's just so they could take over with their military.) While I agree, most of Africa would laugh it's ass off, and South America... well, we've pretty much pissed them off with our military meddling... the world is just gonna let us all die? Really?
The book gives me a lot to think about... which, in the end, is the point. So it gets 3 stars.
I hate it because it's done by an ex-military, right-wing, flag-waving Southerner.
Oh wait, no, the protagonist is ostensibly from New Jersey, so he's the 'outcast Yankee' of his South Carolina town, but he's a college history professor - who apparently knows EVERYTHING about EVERY major period in history- from battles to sociology to politics - all while referencing "I saw it on the History Channel" at town leader meetings (he never opens a book.)
Still, it is TERRIFYINGLY well researched. Because, yeah, take away everything electrical (from cars to refrigerators to communication)... and in 10 days it would be anarchy. We ARE a nation that over-specializes, and we are removed from food production, medication, and even fixing things that break around the house.
The author details it all in pretty bleak terms - panic, insanity, cults, disease, mass starvation, feudal (and futile) behavior. I could see it happening, if you take the dark view of humanity. This book made me cry a lot.
It took reading this review over at "Goodreads" by "Timmy" to give me some perspective:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/91704194
Because, yes, every adult in the tiny town is a gun-toting, ex-military "this is America-dammit!" flag waver or married to one. (And no, they're not near a military base.) The average adult is not going to know/understand/submit to "military triage" conditions. No one is going to take the 'long view.' Even the kindly old doctor in town has an extensive knowledge of third world bacteriology and historical perspective on everything from medieval black plague statistics to WWII Russian cholera outbreaks in the general population.
The general population is apparently both meek and mailable in town, and all 'outsiders' are panicky, selfish, and apparently easily led to join mass cults or roving 'Mad Max' bands of criminals & insane prophets (sociopathic charismatics off their meds.)
And yes, it's lazy of the author to do all the 'action' sequences as ordered, post-happening flashbacks: "Glad we survived that one! Did you know x,y & z happened too?"
The thing "Timmy" didn't articulate was the utter lack of help from the world community. (Although there is allusions to the unknown EMP adversary somehow taking out Western Europe and Japan simultaneously as well- talk about a lucky strike!) NO ONE helps the U.S. (There is one bit at the very end in a conversation that apparently Mexico 'repatriated' Texas and the surrounding states - oh and China showed up on the Western seaboard with aide, but that's just so they could take over with their military.) While I agree, most of Africa would laugh it's ass off, and South America... well, we've pretty much pissed them off with our military meddling... the world is just gonna let us all die? Really?
The book gives me a lot to think about... which, in the end, is the point. So it gets 3 stars.
Outstanding book that makes you think about our dependency on tech.
One scary book. Very thought provoking. This one isn't as good as On The Beach but is right up there. Oddly reminiscent of the movie "The Day After" in some of the occurrences.
This is a must read book! I have spent time researching the information in the book to see how realistic it is. Unfortunately is all to real. What is worse it won't take even as much of an EMP to occure but a nerd with a good computer virus!
Read this book and prepare yourself!
Read this book and prepare yourself!
Well written novel, based on what could happen at any minute, throwing civilization back to the 1800s. Could you survive? You don't want to stop reading as the author describes vividly how a community and its families respond to losing all modern day technology. Fear, sadness, hope, bravery -- all exhibited in this book. Can't wait to read the next one.
A real eye-opener!
Very scarey book by dint of its realism!
I always like a good post-apocalypse novel but this one is just a little better than a mediocre entry in the genre, set in the present day. Nuclear explosions high in the atmosphere deliver an EMP to most of the US, knocking out anything with even relatively unsophisticated electronics. A retired Army colonel in the mountains of South Carolina assists his family and his small town to survive.
I thought the portrayal of the breakdown of communications, transportation, and the hardships that would inevitably follow were pretty good. I'm still not so sure that we'd see cannibal armies launching themselves against towns - it seems to be a favorite scene in almost every post-apocalypse book out there but at least it wasn't zombies. As in real life, not all the good guys survive.
Given who blurbed the book I expected the political message to beat me over the head for the entire novel, but it wasn't so bad. But sadly, the dialogue is flat, the characters are cardboard, and Forstchen really needed someone to clean up the spelling errors and grammar. I cared more about the dogs and one little girl than I did about any of the adults. I had a real problem with the protagonist, who seems to think that everyone should act for the good of the community but is okay with hoarding insulin for his daughter while other diabetics are dying.
In the end, this book feels more like a rewrite of the classic Alas, Babylon than a book with any fresh ideas. It's a quick read though and you never know, may inspire a few folks to put together a household emergency kit.
I thought the portrayal of the breakdown of communications, transportation, and the hardships that would inevitably follow were pretty good. I'm still not so sure that we'd see cannibal armies launching themselves against towns - it seems to be a favorite scene in almost every post-apocalypse book out there but at least it wasn't zombies. As in real life, not all the good guys survive.
Given who blurbed the book I expected the political message to beat me over the head for the entire novel, but it wasn't so bad. But sadly, the dialogue is flat, the characters are cardboard, and Forstchen really needed someone to clean up the spelling errors and grammar. I cared more about the dogs and one little girl than I did about any of the adults. I had a real problem with the protagonist, who seems to think that everyone should act for the good of the community but is okay with hoarding insulin for his daughter while other diabetics are dying.
In the end, this book feels more like a rewrite of the classic Alas, Babylon than a book with any fresh ideas. It's a quick read though and you never know, may inspire a few folks to put together a household emergency kit.
This is one of the scariest books I have ever read.
This book has potential to be good but the constant use of "damn" is overkill and really messes up the book. I wonder if the author had a word quota to meet and added tons of curse words to fill it? I quit reading around page 68, I think it was , when the over kill of 'damn" turned into using G**Damn. I don't mind a curse word here or there for effect concerning various characters, but really the usage in this book is major overkill.
