Ukraine. History. Chernobyl 

On the morning of April 26, 1986, Europe witnessed the most devastating nuclear disaster in history — the explosion of a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet Ukraine. This catastrophe pushed the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation. Although less than 5% of the reactor’s fuel was released, it was enough to contaminate a vast portion of Europe with radioactive fallout. 

In Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy vividly and powerfully reconstructs the dramatic events, telling the stories of firefighters, engineers, scientists, plant workers, soldiers, and police officers who risked their lives to contain the nuclear inferno and bring the reactor under control. 

While the immediate cause of the accident was a failed turbine test, Plokhy delves deeper into the systemic roots of the disaster, exposing the flaws of the Soviet political structure and its crumbling nuclear industry. Just a few years later, the Soviet Union collapsed, undone by the internal weaknesses and inefficiencies laid bare by the catastrophe. 

Chernobyl is a gripping, fast-paced account of the heroes, culprits, and victims whose lives were forever changed by the world’s worst nuclear accident.
Each copy of the book includes Serhii Plokhy’s personal facsimile signature and a special message to readers.

Specifications

• Author: Serhii Plokhy

• Language: English

• Cover: Softcover

• Number of pages: 389