COMMAND AND CONTROL Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety

Scott Brick excels at narrating passages that feel like they're from a thriller, and this account of the Cold War nuclear program has plenty of those. In 1980, at a launch complex in Arkansas, a young airman dropped a wrench socket that pierced the fuel tank of a Titan II missile with a nuclear warhead. This frightening incident is the narrative thread that runs throughout this audiobook. Brick's dramatic tone emphasizes just how close we came to accidental Armageddon on many occasions, though it works less well with the more mundane reportage. Eric Schlosser's research and storytelling skills are remarkable, though the listener may find it difficult to remember the huge cast of characters in this tragic story. D.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2013]