Adam Higginbotham gives a detailed account of nuclear disaster in Midnight in Chernobyl. The book starts with an account of the USSR’s nuclear energy program’s origins and development, focusing in on Chernobyl and the people who planned it, built it, and were running it in 1986. It then proceeds with a detailed account of the disaster itself from a number of different perspectives. It finally concludes with an examination of the aftermath for the specific involved individuals, for the population as a whole, and for the region.
While the first part was a bit slow and perhaps overly technical the account of the accident and its aftermath were fascinating and provided some real life horror. Ultimately it is a picture of the way people bow to pressure in circumstances where they shouldn’t and how sometimes it is only luck that saves us all. I would recommend this book though I do think those who aren’t into technical details could safely skim through the first section.
