THE DAY THE BOMB FELL ON AMERICA

by Clyde Burleson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 12, 1978

This is a simplistic look at nuclear technology, reaching the by-now-familiar conclusion that, sooner or later, ""there is going to be a nuclear accident of major proportions."" Advertising executive Clyde Burleson, who also wrote The Jennifer Project, has pulled together stories of past nuclear incidents--a bomb falling from a plane and exploding over South Carolina in the Fifties; nuclear wastes escaping in the Soviet Union; the Cosmos satellite disintegrating over Canada. But the level of public sophistication on nuclear issues seems beyond the range of this book. In describing a situation in England in the Fifties, when nuclear materials escaped into the air and contaminated the environs, Burleson concludes that ""fortunately, given sufficient time, things do return to normal""--far from an automatic assumption in the nuclear field, where serious ramifications often take many years to appear. In a similarly questionable conclusion regarding terrorists, he says that the international ""climate of anxiety and suspicion"" makes it ""unlikely"" that individuals would build their own bomb. Burleson is not against nuclear energy. His theme is preparedness--better safety measures and, because accidents will happen, more complete insurance coverage. A rehash of old news that almost puts nuclear accidents in the realm of the ordinary.

Pub Date: Dec. 12, 1978

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Prentice-Hall

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1978

Categories: NONFICTION