By Henry Stoever
It is not too late to join the PeaceWorks KC book club that begins its zoom sessions at 7 pm on Jan. 7, featuring Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario. You can get the book at the library or order it. About 15 persons are already using the book PeaceWorks offered free.
This 2024 book is an essential read into the nuclear arsenals of the world, and what could happen. The two other sessions of the book club are at 7 pm, by zoom, on Wed., Jan 23, and Wed., Feb. 4. If you have questions, call me at 913-375-0045.
Part I of this meeting on Jan. 7 will cover the beginning of this book to page 138 (Parts I & II). You will want to look at the Notes at the back of the book, starting on page 303, with the abbreviations used, the Author’s Note, and then follow along the notes as you read the book.
Questions for discussion 1/7/26
Part I, The Buildup
1. The title to this book uses the words “a scenario.” Scenario can be defined as a written outline, giving details of the plot and individual scenes, a postulated sequence or development of events, an account or synopsis. (See Author’s Note at the beginning of the book, xi-xii, and the Prologue, pp. xvii-xxiv). What are your thoughts on using this form of exposition of nuclear war?
2. The author uses extensive research sources from which she quotes, and many essential facts are in her book. It reminded me of the radio and 1950s TV Dragnet series statement: “Just the facts, Ma-am or Sir.” So I ask you to stay on topic. What are your thoughts about the author’s source materials?
3. Did the frequent use of facts, statistics and direct quotes persuade or dissuade you in reading this book? Did you make notes in regard to number of weapons, explosive power, etc.? Explain.
4. Chapter One: “The Top-Secret Plan for General Nuclear War: December 1960,” pages 3-6, gives the briefing on a US nuclear attack against the Soviet Union, where US jets would bomb Moscow and Russia. Genocide was in the planning. What comes to your mind?
5. Chapter Three, THE BUILDUP, 1945-1990, Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National Laboratories, pp 13-22, describes that history, its progression, and the end result. Were there opposing views to this buildup of nuclear weapons? What do you think of this buildup?
6. Page 22 gives us the 1st History Lesson, Deterrence. Describe that concept. Is this book proof that deterrence can fail and result in a nuclear war?
7. Chapter 4, The SIOP, The Single Integrated Operational Plan for General Nuclear War, pp 23-29. This is a follow-up of Chapter One. What is it? Who is General David M. Shoup, and what was his response to SIOP (see page 25-26)?
8. The author uses the Countdown, from the First 24 minutes, to the Next (and Final) 24 minutes timetable. Did this make the materials more of a thriller, nerve-racking, suspenseful drama? Did this countdown make for a more realistic, factual, understandable, technical reference? What did you think?
9. Are there any phrases, sentences, paragraphs that made you catch your breath or realize that nuclear war is in fact horrible and could never be a remedy for mankind’s conflicts?
Part II, The First 24 Minutes
10. We read of the launch of a nuclear weapon by North Korea, and the opening seconds of nuclear war. What was your reaction to this event? What was your interpretation of this event?
11. What preventative measures could or should have been taken decades ago?
12. Page 45, “one nuclear missile doesn’t make any sense.” This “Bolt our of the Blue” attack ensures the attacking nation’s total and complete destruction. But a surprise attack is designed to decapitate. Discuss this issue of surprise attack.
13. Discuss this Escalation Ladder – they launch, we launch back concept, page 49?
14. Lauch on Warning policy is discussed on pages 59-60. Describe the risks in such a policy as described in History Lesson No. 3.
15. All of our monitoring and tracking systems, pages 34 to 98 provide information, but we do not have any effective defensive system to intercept and destroy an incoming Inter-Continental Nuclear Ballistic Missile (ICBM). What do you suggest? Why has our country gone so far forward with offensive weapons of mass destruction, yet we are helpless in regard to neutralizing in-coming ICBM missiles? Are we so one dimensional? Has science failed to solve the interception of foreign missiles problems? Are we so focused on “being rational with deterrence” that we fail to see or believe in the irrational?
16. Does anyone want to speak to all of these monitoring and tracking systems in place?
17. Page 105, Nikita Krushchev is quoted: “The survivors (of a nuclear war) will envy the dead.” Should this not be the motivating force for all persons to act to prevent nuclear war?
18. The author has “History Lessons” in various parts of the book. Do you find them explanatory and helpful? #1, Deterrence. No. 2 The ICBM.No.3, Launch on Warning. No. 4, ICBM Launch Systems. No. 5, The President’s Football. No. 6, Nuclear-Armed Submarines. Discuss.
19. This book describes the chaos among national leaders and the military in scrambling to seek to have the Continuity of Government (page 105), moving the President, the Secretary of Defense (War), etc. to safe areas, and continue to carry out the functions of government. Does anyone want to comment on this?
20. 2nd surprise is with North Korea targeting the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in California, on pages 124-129. Anyone want to comment on this strategic move?
21. Details of our Minuteman III missiles are discussed on pages 135-138, with a 300-kiloton thermonuclear weapon in each nose cone. The Hiroshima uranium bomb had 15 kilotons of TNT (page 9). The Minuteman missile can be launched with 60 seconds (a minute). The Prologue is titled “Hell on Earth.” Is this what we really want and intend?
–Henry Stoever is a former chair and co-chair of PeaceWorks KC and serves on its board. He and Cris Mann are coordinators for this book club.
