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  • Chernobyl 01:23:40

  • The Incredible True Story of the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster
  • By: Andrew Leatherbarrow
  • Narrated by: Michael Page
  • Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (50 ratings)

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Chernobyl 01:23:40 cover art

Chernobyl 01:23:40

By: Andrew Leatherbarrow
Narrated by: Michael Page
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Publisher's Summary

At 01:23:40 on April 26th 1986, Alexander Akimov pressed the emergency shutdown button at Chernobyl's fourth nuclear reactor. It was an act that forced the permanent evacuation of a city, killed thousands, and crippled the Soviet Union. The event spawned decades of conflicting, exaggerated, and inaccurate stories.

This book, the result of five years of research, presents an accessible but comprehensive account of what really happened - from the desperate fight to prevent a burning reactor core from irradiating eastern Europe, to the self-sacrifice of the heroic men who entered fields of radiation so strong that machines wouldn't work, to the surprising truth about the legendary "Chernobyl diver", all the way through to the USSR's final show-trial. The historical narrative is interwoven with a story of the author's own spontaneous journey to Ukraine's still-abandoned city of Pripyat and the wider Chernobyl Zone.

©2016 Andrew Leatherbarrow (P)2016 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
Russia Soviet Union Nuclear Disaster
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What listeners say about Chernobyl 01:23:40

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Interesting and personal

A very interesting listen. Whilst I don't agree with some of your conclusions, this doesn't detract from the quality of your work. A book full of many references such that the undecided, or those for or against nuclear power can make up their minds or reaffirm their positions. Good luck to those affected by this and other horrible nuclear incidents.

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Profile Image for Carl

brilliant book .

having had a similar experience in terms of having a fascination with Chernobyl from when i was young . gets to how it happened and simplifies it for anyone not understanding the nuances of nuclear physics

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Fascinating

An easy to digest recount of events leading up to, during, and after the catastrophe at Chernobyl. Written by someone who’s not an expert, but has been driven to learn as much as he can, and share his learning with us in a balanced a way as he could find. I liked the context he tried to put on the event, by comparing to other nuclear mishaps and also other conventional forms of power generation.

The other important aspect to this book is the recount of the author’s visit to the site. Some people didn’t like that part, but I enjoyed trying to picture and experience the adventure in my mind, through the author’s words.

Thanks Andrew!

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Profile Image for Julian Cribb

A mixed bag…

As the first western journalist into Chernobyl following the accident (1987) I found the historical account interesting, but the travelogue depressingly banal. Chernobyl is a haunted landscape and merits a more thoughtful treatment and better writing. I went inside Reactor 2 and interviewed staff on duty that night. They wept. There is much more to be said about an event that changed the course of world history.

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