53 pages • 1 hour read
Annie JacobsenNuclear War: A Scenario
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 2: “The First 24 Minutes”
Part 2, Chapter 1 Summary: “Four-Tenths of a Second After Launch”
Back in the narrative’s depiction of hypothetical nuclear warfare, north of Pyongyang, North Korea, the Hwasong-17 ICBM launches into the air, immediately drawing the notice of a US satellite in space that instantly sends out an alarm.
Part 2, Chapter 2 Summary: “1 to 3 Seconds After Launch”
The warning from the satellite reaches the National Reconnaissance Office in Aurora, Colorado. Personnel at that base instantly relay this message to several other offices across the country, especially those tied to the National Security Agency and the Department of Defense.
Part 2, Chapter 3 Summary: “5 Seconds”
The US Space Force wants to make sure that they have not detected a ballistic missile by accident. Most countries announce their launches in advance, but “the exception is North Korea” (37), which sees its nuclear program as a unique symbol of its national prowess. Now, it is crucial to discover where the missile is heading and whether it is an attack or just a provocation. Officials rely on all available sources of information to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible.
