“Alas, Babylon.” Those fateful words heralded the end. When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly. But for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness.
This is a template for all of the end of the world as we know it. It is hard to believe that the basics are still relevant today—60 years after this was written.
I lived thru those times. Still applicable today. Just substitute Pandemic for Military Attack. You will find the same prejudices , the same big frogs in small puddles, and the same bravery and human kindness. I’m betting you could look around and apply local names to each character.
Remember when we were all terrified that the Russians would drop a nuclear bomb (or several) on the United States? This classic apocalyptic novel is a great reminder of how the things that threaten us evolve.
I love dystopian but this one hit v close to home. This book is 50 plus years old and it still resonates.
This is another absolute necessity for any post-apocalyptic reader. Excellent plot. Great characters. Believable scenario. A classic.
Set in 1959, but realistic for today — minus people staring at their cell phones.
I have read this book three times before now. Although dated, I find the characters real and their situation challenging even now. Ours will not be an atomic war, but this book offers advice that can be used over and over again when “it” hits the fan
It doesn’t age well.
It uses a lot of science and pseudo-science of the early twentieth century, giving what at the time seemed to be a very “modern world” theme.
But the Psycho-Engineering, Eugenics and Racism does not read well these days.
Another big weakness is the time separation from the “change” to the story line does not account for …
Trying to write a review of the ‘end of the world’ means funny, romantic and other blurbs of soapy schmaltz just don’t cut it. Set in late 1959 – pre-1963, Pat Frank, writing in 1958-59, uses a fictional town in central Florida for his setting. The basic thrust of the story is World War Three, and most are unprepared for such cataclysm. Some …
I have read this book many times over the years. I highly recommend it as it give a good account of what life is like when society is suddenly deprived of things that we usually take for granted. It would be a good read for younger folks.
A realistic apocalypse, one of the first! Will keep your interest all the way thru. Some great characters
Beyond a “Must Read”
Read this in 1969 when I was a teen. Still one of the best EOTWAWKI books I’ve ever read.
Loved this book. A quick and easy read that’s also timely and unforgettable.
I read this many years ago, and occasionally reread it. It has great characters and an interesting and thought-provoking story.
Have read this book several times, and always marvel at the way neighbors work together to overcome adversity while surviving the nuclear holocast. Too bad the real life nuclear effects of that many bombs in such close proximity would be fatal. Still there are some excellent lessons to be learned from the novel.
this book was written in 1959 and depicts an atomic war and the aftermath in very graphic and realistic detail. Although dated, it depicts what could still happen today and we should not forget that. If the war happened, we would be in even worse today because of all the computers that would be destroyed by the EMP.
The first time I read this book was around 1970. It was amazing then and amazing every time I read it. I would have to guess I have read this book well over 100 times and I am always entertained and find some nuance I missed. I purchase used copies of this book when I see them and give them to others that may be interested. It isn’t particularly …
Read this many, many years ago. It made me a emergency disaster preparedness person all my life. I still have my waxed matches.
What began as a code word between two brothers becomes an urgent warning as the US becomes involved in a nuclear war. And while we may have become complacent in our rush to have the latest Smart Phone or Kindle, we would be no better off–maybe worse–than the small community of Ft. Repose, Florida.
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