Chernobyl [electronic resource] : The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe. Serhii Plokhy.

Electronic resources
View other formats and editions
Record details
- ISBN: 9781549116308 (sound recording)
- Physical Description: 1 online resource (17 audio files) : digital
- Edition: Unabridged.
- Publisher: Ashland : Hachette Book Group, 2018.
Content descriptions
General Note: | Unabridged. |
Participant or Performer Note: | Narrator: Ralph Lister. |
Summary, etc.: | From a preeminent historian of Eastern Europe, the definitive history of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster On the morning of April 26, 1986, Europe witnessed the worst nuclear disaster in history: the explosion of a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet Ukraine. Dozens died of radiation poisoning, fallout contaminated half the continent, and thousands fell ill. In Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy draws on new sources to tell the dramatic stories of the firefighters, scientists, and soldiers who heroically extinguished the nuclear inferno. He lays bare the flaws of the Soviet nuclear industry, tracing the disaster to the authoritarian character of Communist party rule, the regime's control of scientific information, and its emphasis on economic development over all else. Today, the risk of another Chernobyl looms in the mismanagement of nuclear power in the developing world. A moving and definitive account, Chernobyl is also an urgent call to action. |
System Details Note: | Requires OverDrive Listen (file size: N/A KB) or OverDrive app (file size: 418207 KB). |
Search for related items by subject
Genre: | Electronic books. |
- Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2018 May #2
From the birth of the Soviet nuclear industry to a detailed analysis of the dramatic events of April 26, 1986, Plokhy (history, Harvard Univ.;
Copyright 2018 Library Journal.The Gates of Europe ) provides the most comprehensive exploration of the events that led to the Chernobyl disaster. The engrossing narrative covers how past Soviet nuclear accidents guided the responseâand denialâof the explosion at Reactor 4 and significantly impacted the future of the now-abandoned town of Pripyat, the surrounding regions, and ultimately the Soviet Union. Plokhy also details the lasting effects the catastrophe are predicted to have on the residents and ecosystems of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia for more than 20,000 years. A cautionary closing explores the continued operation of the power plant for years afterward and reveals how easily another tragedy could occur at nuclear facilities around the world.VERDICT A comprehensive overview of the Chernobyl disaster, with enough scientific inquiry to present nuclear topics without getting bogged down in details and jargon. Readers will appreciate the breadth of coverage of this nuclear and Soviet history, from environmentalists to interested general audiences.âZebulin Evelhoch, Central Washington Univ. Lib., Ellensburg