Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing, scary, and utterly unrealistic.
Review: I first read "Warday" when it came out circa 1984. It had a tremendous impact on me then. I recently re-read it after a long hiatus, and I discovered that the novel has lost none of its punch.In "Warday" the US and the old Soviet Union fight a limited atomic war. Russia is more or less completely destroyed, but not before its atomic weapons wreak havoc on the United States, destroying New York City and many other locations. The effects of the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) destroy virtually all of America's electronic infrastructure, right down to automobiles and toasters, and the nation's industrial and agricultural back is broken. In the aftermath, America's "allies" led by Great Britain step in to fill the gap left by the sudden demise of American power. The UK aid mission to the USA is the real ruler of the country, and America more or less ceases to exist as a unified country. The standard of living plummets, people are hungry, and the future is bleak. The story is told in the form of a semi-documentary. Two reporters decide, five years after "Warday" (the war only lasted a portion of a single day) to tour the country, interview citizens, and find out the true state of the nation. Their findings are depressing, and have a nightmarish authentic quality that is hard to describe. It is very difficult to read this novel and not come away from it with the conviction that nuclear weapons are simply too terrible for use, and that their possession by rogue states is simply unacceptable. This is one of those rare books that changed my basic thinking on an important subject. All this having been said, the one flaw in "Warday" in my opinion is that it deliberately sets out to overstate what the effect would be of the scenario set out by the authors. Just as Germany and Japan pulled themselves out of devastation after World War II, I have zero doubt that the American people would do the same under the horrific conditions portrayed in "Warday." In "Warday" the authors show an America that is flat on its back, out for the count, and not recovering. I believe that America is made of sterner stuff. This in no way takes away from the fact that "Warday" is utterly convincing as regards the notion that atomic weapons are too dangerous ever to be used again. This book gets five stars for its imagination and the impact that it has on the reader. Its characterization is pretty nominal, but for once this adds, rather than detracts, from the novel. This is a story about America under a terrible, unthinkable scenario; not about individual people. The authors pull it off brilliantly, and this book has every bit as much impact today as it did when it was published in 1984.
Rating: 
Summary: Biased yes, but I keep coming back
Review: I first read Warday when it first came out (15, 16 years ago?). I keep re-reading it. Yes, it has a Leftist slant (the war is our fault because we deployed SDI, etc. etc.), and yet it's not so preachy as some say: a lot of the preaching reflects the very realistic depiction of how people *after* such a war would likely feel about *our* world after the fact. But never mind all that. There's never been anything to compare to Warday. Not in technical accuracy. Not in scope of post-apocalyptic survey (virtually the entire U.S. and then some). Not in style of writing (a journalistic account from two very different perspectives). And on top of that, the human element is as strong as or stronger than any other book of its kind. Like I said, I keep coming back. Most people I know who've read it do the same. No matter what the quibbles I have with it, it's the best of the best. It's definitely the best thing that nut-ball Whitley Streiber ever produced. Truly a must-read, must-own.
Rating: 
Summary: A different take on Nuclear War
Review: I found this book at a local library, and it caught my eye. I took it home and I was suprised. It is not your typical Nuclear War book. It takes place some years after a Limited Nuclear exchange between Russia and the United States. It follows two men, and there journey across whats left of the United States.
They interview a number of different people all across the country and find out what effect the war had on them and there communties.
I thought the idea of the US becoming basically a divided Third World Country interesting, and kind of disturbing.
This book isnt for action lovers though. There isnt any action in it, but it wasnt written to be a action book.
It is smart and well written, and I highy recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Dated though Chilling
Review: I only stumbled upon this great post-apocalyptic novel in my university library quite by accident. Knowing Streiber's later bizarre works on UFOs and alien abductions, I expected in this book another sanguine piece of sensationalistic journalism mixed with half-baked fiction. Not so. Indeed, after reading this novel, it sheds some light on why Streiber described such vivid pictures about the world being destroyed, and also perhaps explains why he developed a religious belief in the existence of intelligent aliens who will save us from our own foolishness (a common SF theme during the Cold War). The premise of the novel is simple enough-it is a journalistic travelogue compiled by Streiber and Kunetka over a period of five years, as they travel across their wrecked homeland in search of answers as to what happened on 'Warday', when a short and limited nuclear war changed the world forever. Along the way we get some fascinating insights into the political, sociological and economic after-effects of the war. Most amusing is the almost superstitious fear about radioactivity, especially in post-war California, which takes over as the economic and political heart of the U.S., as well as the comical but tragic paranoia about refugees. The authors hold no punches though about showing the horrible aftermath in its detail, ranging from burns, sickness, involuntary euthenasia, starvation, plague, famine, and the other effects which end up claiming 70 million or so American lives in the war's aftermath. In realism, the novel is quite accurate. The nuclear war is triggered when the U.S. builds a space-based 'star wars' system, which apparently leads Russia to believe its deterrent will be useless. Russia then launches a first strike, destroying the ICBM silos in the Midwest and launching a salvo of 10 megatonne bombs against Washington, New York, and San Antonio. About 70 megatonnes fall on Washington, reducing the city to molten rock and glass, whilst lesser megatonnage falls on New York. Although most of the New York salvo misses, enough damage is done to kill 3 million people and damage the city beyond repair. Russia also detontates a number of 'EMP' bombs over the U.S., destroying most of the electronics and computer systems in the U.S. The President, panicked and bewieldered, launches nuclear counter-strikes of similar force against Russia, and probably also orders the use of biological weapons against the Warsaw Pact (although this is never claimed explicitly). Russia also appears to deploy a biological agent against America, which ends up being simply called the 'Cinncinati Flu' which ironically kills about twice as many people as the nuclear strikes themselves do. Although the authors vastly over-estimate the likely yield of the Soviet bombs (modern city busters have yields of about 400-750 kilotonnes, deployed in ICBMs with 3-12 warheads apiece) the general effects of the deployed weapons and the aftermath corroborate well with what I know about nuclear weapons and war in general. What is perhaps the most chilling is that a 'limited' nuclear war still effectively ruins and cripples the U.S., reducing it from a premier superpower to a nation with the same might as say, modern Japan or India. The authors are also prescient in their awareness of the damage an 'EMP' burst would do, something of considerable worry in more recent times with nuclear terrorism. Overall the novel is perhaps the best fictional account of what a nuclear war could do. I would certainly give a copy to anyone who thinks nuclear weaponry is the best means of achieving political aims or of resolving international disputes.
Rating:
Summary: Different from most apocalyptic stories, it stays relevant.
Review: I saw an ad for this book in the NYC Subways and I bought it on the stength of the ad! This book is perfect whether you're into science fiction, horror, or just a plain old nuclear war film fan like me. Shoulda been made into a miniseries.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I was 12 when I first heard about this book and didn't read it until I was 19. It wasn't until I reread it three years later, however, that this book had such an impact of me. Like many readers, I still find myself rereading it today. Its as if the authors had stepped into an alternate universe, it is so creepy adn realistic. I really wonder if that so-called-nutball Streiber had accessed some alternate universe because the details were so real. I had my gripes with the book; California I felt, was overfocused on, while such places as the North Central States like Minnesota, Michigan, and the Deep South where I live are barely given any mention at all. But other than that, I think the book is amazingly engrossing. And as for the reviewer who scoffs at the idea of the United States disintergrating after such an attack, he is a typical example of blind, nationlistic lack of rational. America is a large, sectionalized, divided country, with a populace that takes our institutions and creature comforts for granted, even in the best of times. Take away a few major cities, our economy, and our luxury items, throw in chaos, radiation, and pandemics, and I think the scenario presented was extremely accurate, which is why I believe this book is still an important read 20 years later
Rating:
Summary: This could Very Well Happen!
Review: On 10-28-88 the Soviet Union and the United states engaged in a limited and very brief nuclear war. In the United States the cities San Antonio, Washington, D.C., and New York, were either totally or mostly destroyed. In addition, missile silos in the upper midwest were also targeted, with persistant radiation being spread over a wide area. Five years later the reporters Jim Kunetka and Whitley Strieber embark on a tour of a much changed United States to document these changes. Travel is sometimes unreliable and dangerous, and these changes as the result of the war are truly phenomenal. In many places civil liberties are much reduced, and the economy is in chaos. All lives have been changed, one way or another, it brought out the best in some people and the worst in others. And the United States is no longer a superpower. This novel was written around 1984 and it does seem a bit dated. If it was written today one could substitute terrorists for the old Soviet Union, and add chemical and biological weapons to the nuclear weapons. Nevertheless the authors have written a riveting account, full of human interest, and with so much intensity and realism that it was hard to put down. Toward the end of this book one of the characters was ruminating that the warmth and softness of home was better than perhaps anything else in the world, and in the final estimation personal relationships and mundane things we often take for granted are what is important, not a far off central government that does'nt even exist anymore and which has proven dangerous. If nothing else, this novel will make you "think", it did for me.
Rating:
Summary: A "documentary" of the aftermath of nuclear war
Review: On October 27, 1988, the United States and the Soviet Union fight a "limited" nuclear war. Washington, DC, and San Antonio are vaporized. New York City is left in ruins. Electromagnetic pulses wipe out computers and electronic car ignitions. Radiation sickness is followed by famine and a flu epidemic. Five years after Warday, two writers tour what was the United States to assemble this documentary of life after the war, weaving together interviews, government documents, and the chronicle of their travels. The possible consequences of nuclear war are presented convincingly and in detail, in an understated, journalistic style that makes the book quietly frightening. (Other good stories of the aftermath of nuclear war: "Alas, Babylon," "On the Beach," and "Riddley Walker.")
Rating:
Summary: This could happen!
Review: This was a very sobering look at the shattering results of a nuclear attack on the US, with the resulting balkanization of the regions of the country, although the subcultures described are a bit dated. The vast differences in fortune found in each area are also certainly plausible. I did find the Japanese ascendancy a stretch, but the Brits' role did not surprise me. True to form at their best. I loved the comment about not torturing children with stories of what they had lost ... what a heartbreak! Much more likely scenario than "total dust" hysteria, and thus leaves the reader much more thoughtful.
Rating:
Summary: Accidents Happen
Review: Within thirty-six minutes seven million Americans are dead. One thing to be thankful for is that Warday is nothing like the all-out holocaust predicted to wipe out humanity. At first this makes the much-anticipated armageddon seem like a comparative non-event. The biggest killer after the nuclear war is not radiation. That's only part of it. Instead, it's the crippling effects of EMP, coupled with famine and disease and the lack of medical treatment for those put on triage. Over five years the death toll has climbed dramatically. Although it proved to be the world's shortest conflict, the after-effects of Warday are more far-reaching and devastating than anyone could have guessed. Two survivors, Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka, unveil the facts about Warday, describing through interviews, polls and statistics how the war has changed so many lives. If there ever is a nuclear conflict I think it will be small-scale and accidental like the one in this book. The number of false alarms over the years is frightening. Nuclear war could have broken out in 1979 because of a computer malfunction. It nearly fooled the American military into thinking the Russians had launched a nuclear attack on the United States. It turned out a practice tape for testing airforce personnel had been left on one of the backup computer tape drives. Before the mistake was found the Americans were poised to strike. In 1995 a Norweigen weather rocket caused the Russian nuclear command to think the U.S. had launched a pre-emptive nuclear strike. Boris Yeltsin was deciding whether or not to strike back. Luckily he chose not to and the "misunderstanding" was cleared up. I once saw some photographs of the Russian city Pripyat, which was evacuated shortly after the Chernobyl disaster. It looked just the same as Whitley Strieber's description of the abandoned New York - empty, crumbling and overgrown with vegetation. Pripyat was evacuated nearly 16 years ago and will remain uninhabitable for decades. This makes the writing in "Warday" seem eerily prophetic. "Warday" is certainly among the best of the anti-nuclear warnings. Especially with all that recent talk about a missile defence shield.
|
