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A Nuclear Family Vacation: Travels In The World Of Atomic Weaponry (2008)

by Nathan Hodge(Favorite Author)

3.55 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1596913789 (ISBN13: 9781596913783)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Bloomsbury USA

review 1: Not really a travel book per se, since you can't actually visit most of these places if you aren't a reporter. But the "vacation" metaphor is really just an excuse for a portrait of the American nuclear weaponry ecosystem (plus a few others). Readable, informative and (usually) insightful - definitely a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in Cold War history or an interest in where nuclear policy goes from here.
review 2: I was dizzy with excitement when I saw this book, and I actually bought it in hardback (I was tipsy after an early-afternoon soiree with white wine and oysters down on the waterfront, so I was caught up in some kind of dandy boho whirlwind of excess). Anyway, I loved it because I love nuclear weapons, but I find the title and jacket de... morescription EXTREMELY misleading. I thought it was billed as a road-trip/vacation narrative by people who are fascinated by nuclear history and visit various landmarks of nuclear tourism. Rather, the authors are a pair of international journalists, and while they do visit a vast array of nuclear tourism destinations, their journalist credentials allow them all kinds of access and interviews. These are all interesting, but to me, that's not tourism, that's journalism. Quibbles? Perhaps I am just jealous that I don't get to fly into Dubrovsk for the day to interview gruff post-Soviet scientists. But I also found it oddly and non-geographically organized, which distanced it further from a travelouge. Why not just call it an overview of nuclear disarmament? less

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