Rating: 
Summary: Soon to be a major TV event starring George Clooney
Review: "A chilling and engrossing book which will sweep you along from the deceptively quiet opening to the shattering, unthinkable ending . . . has a multi-megaton wallop." - Chicago Tribune"Excruciatingly tense." - Wall Street Journal Something has gone wrong. A group of American bombers armed with nuclear weapons is streaking pas the fail-safe point, beyond recall, and no one knows why. Their destination - Moscow. In a bomb shelter beneath the White House, the calm young president turns to his Russian translator and says, "I think we are ready to talk to Premier Kruschchev." Not far away, in the War Room at the Pentagon, the secretary of defense and his aides watch with growing anxiety as the luminous blips crawl across a huge screen map. High over the Bering Strait in a large Vindicator bomber, a colonel stares in disbelief at the attack code number on his fail-safe box and wonders if it could possibly be a mistake. First published in 1962, when America was still reeling from the Cuban missile crisis, Fail-Safe reflects the apocalyptic attitude that pervaded society during the height of the Cold War, when disaster could have struck at any moment. As more countries develop nuclear capabilities and the potential for new enemies lurks on the horizon, Fail-Safe and its powerful issues continue to resound.
Rating: 
Summary: Making a Convincing Case for Nuclear Disarmament
Review: A fictionalized, but chillingly realistic depiction of the men and machines who nearly brought the world to extinction during the height of the Cold War. An unidentified blip approaching North America appears on an automated tracking system. Is this the long-feared attack, or just another in an endless series of false alarms? Rather than find out after it's too late, the bombers are once again sent out, none of them certain if it's just another drill, or the real thing. But this time a mechanical failure in the automated system causes the bombers to go beyond their Fail Safe points, past which there is no return. Should we go ahead and launch an incapacitating first strike, since retaliation is assured anyway? Or do we help the enemy to shoot down our own planes, hoping to avert nuclear holocaust? Among the cast of spare-drawn characters is Peter Buck, a natural linguist who is the White House's Russian translator despite his acute disinterest in politics, General Bogan, commanding officer of the information center known as the War Room, Colonel Cascio, who can't quite escape the poverty of his working-class roots, Lieutenant Colonel Grady, commander of a group of Vindicator bombers, and the President, who is faced with a situation that could win the Cold War - or destroy human civilization. The action takes place amidst the bomber group and in the War Room, but especially in the calculating minds of the men charged with making the most dangerous of all possible decisions. As one might expect from a forty-year-old novel, the technology is rather out of date, but the moral lesson is as strong as ever. Every system, no matter how redundant, will eventually break down, making nuclear weapons far too dangerous to keep around. The president's final, grim decision is a lesson in moral courage, but even that may be insufficient in the dangerous years ahead, as nuclear proliferation continues. Written very convincingly in simple and straightforward prose, this book is not so much an entertainment as a call for political action. Let's get rid of these things before it's too late for all of us.
Rating:
Summary: Making a Convincing Case for Nuclear Disarmament
Review: A fictionalized, but chillingly realistic depiction of the men and machines who nearly brought the world to extinction during the height of the Cold War. An unidentified blip approaching North America appears on an automated tracking system. Is this the long-feared attack, or just another in an endless series of false alarms? Rather than find out after it's too late, the bombers are once again sent out, none of them certain if it's just another drill, or the real thing. But this time a mechanical failure in the automated system causes the bombers to go beyond their Fail Safe points, past which there is no return. Should we go ahead and launch an incapacitating first strike, since retaliation is assured anyway? Or do we help the enemy to shoot down our own planes, hoping to avert nuclear holocaust? Among the cast of spare-drawn characters is Peter Buck, a natural linguist who is the White House's Russian translator despite his acute disinterest in politics, General Bogan, commanding officer of the information center known as the War Room, Colonel Cascio, who can't quite escape the poverty of his working-class roots, Lieutenant Colonel Grady, commander of a group of Vindicator bombers, and the President, who is faced with a situation that could win the Cold War - or destroy human civilization. The action takes place amidst the bomber group and in the War Room, but especially in the calculating minds of the men charged with making the most dangerous of all possible decisions. As one might expect from a forty-year-old novel, the technology is rather out of date, but the moral lesson is as strong as ever. Every system, no matter how redundant, will eventually break down, making nuclear weapons far too dangerous to keep around. The president's final, grim decision is a lesson in moral courage, but even that may be insufficient in the dangerous years ahead, as nuclear proliferation continues. Written very convincingly in simple and straightforward prose, this book is not so much an entertainment as a call for political action. Let's get rid of these things before it's too late for all of us.
Rating: 
Summary: A Thought-Provoking Flashback
Review: A routine procedure is activated when an unknown plane is spotted on radar; luckily is quickly identified as non-hostile. However, due to a mechanical error, a group of bombers fail to respond to the order to stand-down from the false alarm. Instead, the bombers fly past their fail-safe point on a direct course for their target: Moscow. Unable to recall the bombers, the President of the United States is faced with an extremely difficult situation. This is the plot for this 1962 novel by Eugene Harvey and Burdick Wheeler. Fail Safe takes a look at a frightening, yet plausible, "what if" scenario. Imagine being the President of the United States, completely aware that due to a mechanical error, in a matter of hours one of your bombers will drop four nuclear bombs over Moscow-and its all an accident. How do you inform the Premier of Russia? How can a leader of a nation respond when his largest city is destroyed by nuclear weapons-even if it was an accident? This is a truly frightening "what if." The book raises several questions and issues. At one point in the book, the President notes that the accident was caused due the faith both the USA and USSR had in the fail-safe system. When did we give up control of our own weapons? This book is a quick read-under 300 pages. The writer manages to build suspense throughout the novel, while at the same time developing the backgrounds, mannerisms, characteristics, and beliefs of several of the characters that add to the impact of the conclusion. "Fail Safe" keeps building up suspense, and the surprise ending does not disappoint. The ending leaves you wondering what you would have done in the same situation. What if you were the President? Khrushchev? Fail Safe is quick-but excellent-read that takes you back to the world climate of the Cold War. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: No better Cold War thriller was ever written
Review: Although it is now close to FORTY years old, "Fail-Safe" puts today's crop of political novelist to shame. A more compelling story has not been written. The story is simple: a mechanical error send a group of U.S. Bombers towards the Soviet Union. The President tries mightily to recall them, in an effort to avoid the inevitable Soviet retaliation. He has to make an incredible sacrifice to keep the world from World War III. Forget about the incredibly complex turns of my favorite writer of this genre, F. Forsyth. T. Clancy 's interwoven stories and mind numbing detail does not even come close to this simple, chilling story. Could it happen? Of course not, because of the fail-safe system. Or so they tell us... Like Coke, this is the real thing.
Rating:
Summary: No better Cold War thriller was ever written
Review: Although it is now close to FORTY years old, "Fail-Safe" puts today's crop of political novelist to shame. A more compelling story has not been written. The story is simple: a mechanical error send a group of U.S. Bombers towards the Soviet Union. The President tries mightily to recall them, in an effort to avoid the inevitable Soviet retaliation. He has to make an incredible sacrifice to keep the world from World War III. Forget about the incredibly complex turns of my favorite writer of this genre, F. Forsyth. T. Clancy 's interwoven stories and mind numbing detail does not even come close to this simple, chilling story. Could it happen? Of course not, because of the fail-safe system. Or so they tell us... Like Coke, this is the real thing.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful thriller
Review: Although somewhat dated, "Fail-Safe" is a taught novel that ranks among the best Cold War thrillers. The characters have real depth, and the writing moves at a brisk, tense...but not hurried pace. In fact, the authors do such an excellent job of cranking up the tension in one long, slow pull, I felt almost physically drained upon finishing it. Of particular note, the authors have succeeded in writing a novel that operates on two levels. In the tradition of "On the Beach" by Shute, "Fail-Safe" is both a gripping novel, and a thoughtful commentary on the almost absurd politics of the Cold War. The authors examine what was at the time a very real concern about the hair-trigger between peace and global destruction; the concern that machines were supplanting humans. In so doing they reveal more about the mentality of the Cold War than many works of history. In the end, "Fail-Safe" does a superb job of capturing the terror of the Cold War. It succeeds as both a thriller, and as a work of thought provoking literature. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful thriller
Review: Although somewhat dated, "Fail-Safe" is a taught novel that ranks among the best Cold War thrillers. The characters have real depth, and the writing moves at a brisk, tense...but not hurried pace. In fact, the authors do such an excellent job of cranking up the tension in one long, slow pull, I felt almost physically drained upon finishing it. Of particular note, the authors have succeeded in writing a novel that operates on two levels. In the tradition of "On the Beach" by Shute, "Fail-Safe" is both a gripping novel, and a thoughtful commentary on the almost absurd politics of the Cold War. The authors examine what was at the time a very real concern about the hair-trigger between peace and global destruction; the concern that machines were supplanting humans. In so doing they reveal more about the mentality of the Cold War than many works of history. In the end, "Fail-Safe" does a superb job of capturing the terror of the Cold War. It succeeds as both a thriller, and as a work of thought provoking literature. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A great book.
Review: Fail-Safe is all about the technology and problems with it during the cold war. After the plot kicks in, Fail-Safe becomes a griping novel that is difficult to put down. I really enjoyed the very suprising ending, it is a real shocker.
Rating:
Summary: Fail-Safe: Accidents Just Don't Happen
Review: FAIL-SAFE is the most shocking thriller of the Cold War. The premise that a concatenation of mechanical failure coupled with deliberate human intervention based on computer logic could result in a nuclear death for both Moscow and New York is as timely today as when it was written in 1962. Authors Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler use the deeply buried War Room in Omaha as the setting for most of the action. It is there that the nation's top military brass must decide what to do when Group Six flies past its fail safe point on its way to drop two atomic bombs on Moscow. The characterization of Walter Groteschele, special advisor to a Kennedy-type President, winds up as the surprise dramatic center. Groteschele is a Jewish writer and adviser on issues of nuclear security, but as the time draws nearer to advise the President, the reader can sense that when Groteschele is talking about the options available to the President, he is really talking more about himself, reliving the hurt that his fellow Jews suffered at the hands of the Nazis. He advises the President to follow up this accidental launch with a full-scale nuclear assault on the Soviet Union. Backing up Groteschele, Colonel Cascio refuses to accept the more cautionary advice of his superiors not to attack in force by trying to sieze control of the command bunker at gun point. The President orders his own planes to overtake and attack Flight Six, but they fail, and he is faced with the unforgiving inevitability of convincing the Russians that the destruction of their capitol was a mistake. His only option: to destroy New York City with the same type bombs that fell on Moscow. This is done and peace returns to a badly shaken world.
The pace of FAIL-SAFE is rapid and suggests that in the real-life occurrence of such an event, all decisions must be equally rapid and decisive. It is both disturbing and comforting to know that for each Groteschele advising escalation to each American and Russian leader, that such criers of doom often give away their true inner motivation in tones clear enough for all men of reason to heed.
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