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Summary: Unforgettable, haunting and very, very real.
Review: I read this book 40 years ago and it has haunted me ever since. Most people think of nuclear war as the destructive blast and the resulting radiation fallout. I don't think many people think of the long term survival techniques that any survivors will have to face, such as when the main character loaded up on meats for his freezer, never thinking about the lack of electricity due to the destruction of the power sources. Having once been VERY near-sighted, the part dealing with the glasses definitly hit home. And reading about the simple things that people traded, such as honey since there was no sugar, reminded me of stories from my mom about WWII and trying to make a cake with all kinds of strange substitutes. This book is a very realistic portrayal of what could happen to some of us should a nuclear war erupt. It's one of those books that should be on the mandatory reading list of all high-schoolers.
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Summary: a modern classic
Review: Pat Frank wrote a book that has stood as a masterpiece for fifty years, even though the cold war has ended and the book is a bit dated. What makes this such a powerful piece, and why, like all classics, it will last for all time, is the interactions and relationships of the characters, both with others and within themselves. The fact that Fort Repose was not destroyed in the nuclear war forced people to make a choice. Survive or give up. Who digs deep to become a leader? Where do all those silver spoons go? And will all the disaster, can you still be a moral man? Alas, Babylon has always been a quick read for me. Not because it is simple (it isn't) but because of the authors skill with narrative and characterization.
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Summary: A teenager gives a classic praise!
Review: I'm 15, and believe it or not, I read this book and selected it on my own! Hard to believe that a teen would select a 1959 novel about post-apocalyptic America as a Summer read, but this was recommended so highly on Amazon that I bought it anyway. I must say, the book is horrifying. Beginning around page 80, you are given an event that is by and far the worse military action ever taken against the US. Living here in Mobile, Alabama (a place that is {gasp} nuked in the military strike) I found the characters in Fort Repose to be beleivable, and refreshing (odd for a book that is almost 45 years old). I deeply sympathize with Helen (she reminds me of my mom), and as a nearly blind near sighted glasses-wearer, I soooooooooo understand the doctor's pain. It is horrifying and frightening to say, but even with the dissillution of the Soviet Union, this type of event could still happen (though probably in one HUGE single event rather than the dozens of smaller big events as portrayed in the book). A wonderful, wonderful book that every person should read! A+
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Summary: Finally! the first great assignment
Review: Because this was an English assignment, I expected it to be either boring or hard to decipher (ie. Shakespeare). I was wrong this time. This book depicts life following a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1959. It shows how people managed to survive, and how life went on. There was a marriage, kids, thieves, gun fights, murders, and other aspects. If you failed Biology, you might find some certain things confusing, trust me. Overall, good book.
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Summary: A "blast" from the past
Review: I was born in 1953, so I spent all of my childhood during the height of the Cold War and the threat of a Soviet nuclear attack. I can clearly remember the drills in school, during the Cuban missle crisis (hiding under our desks as if that would save us). As I got older I became more and more aware of the consequences of the threat, and wondered what the aftermath of an all out nuclear war would be like. Pat Frank's version gives us a glimpse of how one community, a small town in Florida, deals with life after a nuclear war. He does it in an informed and well paced manner. A good read, well deserving of your time.
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Summary: Excellent Sci-Fi with strong message
Review: Brutality of Nuclear War comes to life in Alas, Babylon. It focuses on how the survivors deal with the devastation, and is closer to the truth than one might think. Brilliantly written, it's a book written well ahead of it's time.
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Summary: Absolutely one of the most amazing reads ever
Review: Alas, Babylon was one of the first "adult" books that I read, during my transition between young adult books and novels. This is one of my favorite books to this date, because Post Apocalyptic literature is something that interests me very much, and the fact that it is so well-written that it can catch anyone's attention and keep it throughout the entire book. I absolutely loved the setting of the book: a small town in Florida, and how the population would survive, while trying to solve their different problems and threats in a world where the Cold War did not just fade away. Facing such major problems as looters, radiation posioning, food shortages, and the fact that the United States may no longer exsit, the characters are more than overwhelmed by this world of destruction and chaos. There's not much else to explain about this book, except that it is one of the most well-written books that I have ever read, and is essentially the how-to guide of surviving a nuclear war mixed with one of the greatest plots that I have seen yet. If any of you out there are interested in books at all, you need to read this one. With true literary ideas encompassing a really great plot, you'll want to read this book over and over again, like I still do.
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Summary: From Catastrophe to Survival
Review: Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon goes from mudane 50's life to Atomic disaster in the flash of a bomb. Then, after the initial horror has worn off, life takes on a new normalcy.
I first read this in the mid 70's while living under the constant threat of nuclear war, and this book gave me hope for the future. Yes, if such a war were to happen now, life would be devastated, but life would return. I strongly recommend this book for those who think war is a necessary evil, and for those petrified by the thought, so that both sides would come together to make sure it never happens.
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Summary: Must Read
Review: This is a must read in today's world. A short novel dealing with the aftermath in America after a nuclear war. This book really opens one's eyes to the harsh realities that would exist as well as offering an insight into what may become in a not too distant future.
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Summary: Another Apocalyptic Classic
Review: Reading this book sure brings back the old, terrible memories of youth. As everyone else old enough to remember the 1970's and 1980's, I also grew up with the fear of nuclear annihilation. Even worse, I lived (and still live) in Omaha, Nebraska. Anyone who reads this book realizes the implications of Omaha. I grew up playing under the Doomsday planes flying in and out of the SAC airbase in Bellevue (they passed over our house constantly). Even though the nuclear threat is still alive, I consider anyone who missed out on the Cold War as an extremely lucky person. This book is one of a long line of apocalyptic books and films made from the 1950's to the 1980's. "Alas, Babylon" is standard fare for the genre: the suspenseful build up to attack, followed by the trials and tribulations of post-war life. There's always some old retired military guy, someone with a shortwave radio, a romance, and usually a baby born in the aftermath. "Alas, Babylon" has most of these features, with the exception of the baby (there are several young children, however). What is significantly different in Frank's book is the racial aspect of the story. The Henrys, a black family that lives in the same area with the other main characters, are integrated into the story and quickly become important material providers for the others. That the story takes place in Florida adds additional dimensions to this racial aspect. Even the women of the story are, for the most part, strong and capable. I have several complaints with this book. The scenario for the start of the war was totally unconvincing. The Russians want access to the Mediterranean? Come on. This was the case in the 19th century, but in the 20th century, it falls flat. Frank should have focused on missiles in Turkey, a touchy situation with the Soviets in this time frame, so much so that Kennedy ended up pulling out the missiles there after the Cuban situation in 1962. Another problem with the book deals with the characters and situations. I was so annoyed with the constant references to nephew Ben as "Ben Franklin," that I wanted to scream every time I saw it. Also, wasn't it amazing that there was NO fallout to speak of in Fort Repose? This stretches belief to the breaking point. Then Paul Hunt just happens to be the guy that shows up at the end. Not since Oliver Twist attempted to pick his long lost grandfather's pocket in London has such an amazing coincidence occurred. You'll have to suspend belief time and time again to get through this book. Despite these drawbacks, Frank's book still manages to entertain. These books are fun to read because we all wonder about our reactions in a similar situation. If you've read books like Nevil Shute's "On the Beach," you'll like to read "Alas, Babylon" as well.
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