Adam Higginbotham - Böcker

THE PHENOMENAL GLOBAL BESTSELLER.'Superb, enthralling and necessarily terrifying . . . every step feels spring-loaded with tension... extraordinary.'THE NEW YORK TIMES-The story of Chernobyl is more complex, more human, and more terrifying than the Soviet myth. Adam Higginbotham has written a harrowing and compelling narrative which brings the 1986 disaster to life through the eyes of the men and women who witnessed it first-hand.Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews conducted over the course of more than ten years, as well as letters, unpublished memoirs, and documents from recently-declassified archives, this book makes for a masterful non-fiction thriller.Chernobyl has become lodged in the collective nightmares of the world: shorthand for the spectral horrors of radiation poisoning, for a dangerous technology slipping its leash, for ecological fragility, and for what can happen when a dishonest and careless state endangers not only its own citizens, but all of humanity. It is a story that has long remained in dispute, clouded from the beginning in secrecy, propaganda, and misinformation.Midnight In Chernobyl is an indelible portrait of history's worst nuclear disaster, of human resilience and ingenuity and the lessons learned when mankind seeks to bend the natural world to his will - lessons which, in the face of climate change and other threats - remain not just vital but necessary.Now, Higginbotham brings us closer to the truth behind this colossal tragedy.-'Tells the story of the disaster and its gruesome aftermath with thriller-like flair . . . wonderful and chilling ... written with skill and passion.'THE OBSERVER'An invaluable contribution to history.'SERHII PLOKHY, EVENING STANDARDA New York Times Best Book of the YearA Time Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the YearLonglisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize2020 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence Winner

'Gripping' ED CAESAR • 'Masterly' GEOFF DYER • 'Incredible' TIM HARFORD • 'A universal story that transcends time' NEW YORK TIMES • 'Superb' DAILY TELEGRAPH • 'We know what’s going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless' THE TIMES** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **** WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD 2024 **** WINNER OF THE KIRKUS BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024 **The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research – this is riveting history that reads like a thriller.On the freezing-cold morning of 28 January 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Yet the full story of what happened that day – and the ominous warning signs recognized but then ignored in the years before – has never been told.Following a handful of central protagonists – from the astronauts and their families to the rocket engineers who tried to stop the fateful launch – Challenger is a gripping tale of human over-reach; of cynicism and cost-cutting; of hubristic ‘go fever’; and of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers determined to bring the truth to light. Blending human drama with fascinating science and political infighting, Challenger is a masterpiece of non-fiction storytelling. The result is a story even more extraordinary and terrifying than any of us remembered – or thought possible.Finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2024A Daily Mail Best Science Books of 2024A New York Times Notable Book of the Year 2024A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year 2024One of the New Yorker’s dozen Essential Reads of 2024One of the Atlantic's Ten Best Books of 2024An Amazon Best Book of the Year 2024An Apple Best book and Best Audiobook of 2024A Spotify Best Audiobook of 2024Goodreads’ nominee for Readers' Favourite History and Biography 2024