Dunno if this should be in off-topic but... - The Orange Mane

SPfloppy · 09-07-2009, 05:40 PM

This is kind of a war thread. I recently read the novel "WARDAY" by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka and got thru it in 3 days. I picked it up again because I am between books and hell it was great. This book was written back in the 80's following START and of course some chatter about the "Starwars" program by Reagan.

I thought about this book from all angles and actually managed to draw some similarities between our 911 response and the nation in the wake of a limited nuclear exchange in the book. Had I not lived thru both period in our history (the cold war not a limited nuclear exchange) I think I wouldn't have believed how plausable WARDAY really was. I would have likely just called it fantasy. Seeing how we got back up after the attacks and the paranoia that followed them makes it all the more easy to suspend disbelief whilst reading warday.

Has anyone else here ever read this book?

W*GS · 09-07-2009, 05:57 PM

I read WARDAY years ago. I picked it up recently at a thrift store and skimmed it. There's some interesting stuff in there.

One thing that I realized then was that it wasn't well-researched. They have the President "turning the keys" to let the ICBMs loose, but he doesn't do that. The guys in the silos do.

SPfloppy · 09-07-2009, 06:05 PM

Yeah, I guess I could have provided a synopsis.

Ok, so on 28 October 1988 there is a limited nuclear exchange between the USSSR and the USA. The novel follows two reporters who decide that after 5 years it's time to go out into the remaining country, gather as much information as possible and write a book. Along the way a fascinating series of interviews are given by officials from the former US gov., the British relief agency, the cdc, governors of Texas and a new Hispanic state founded in the aftermath of the 36 minute war. The day is refered to as "WARDAY" by everyone who has any lines in the book. The former under-secratary of defense gives a great blow for blow account of how it happened. Several nuclear bombs were detonated in near space creating an EMP that pretty much screws any chance of a second strike. DC, San Antonio TX and the missile fields of ND and SD are literaly Vaporized by severl high yield weapons detonated almost simultaniously. The USSSR is pretty much leveled. California turns into a police state because they survived intact and use a huge amount of resources to keep people out so they don't deplete what they have. the Brits and the Japanese both are seeming to start thier own little cold war by putting thier hands everywhere that was effected by WARDAY. Anyway if I keep going here I'll be on all night

W*GS · 09-07-2009, 06:09 PM

Or:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warday

SPfloppy · 09-07-2009, 06:14 PM

^thanx

09-07-2009, 05:40 PM	#1
SPfloppy Perennial Pro-bowler Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 880	Dunno if this should be in off-topic but... This is kind of a war thread. I recently read the novel "WARDAY" by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka and got thru it in 3 days. I picked it up again because I am between books and hell it was great. This book was written back in the 80's following START and of course some chatter about the "Starwars" program by Reagan. I thought about this book from all angles and actually managed to draw some similarities between our 911 response and the nation in the wake of a limited nuclear exchange in the book. Had I not lived thru both period in our history (the cold war not a limited nuclear exchange) I think I wouldn't have believed how plausable WARDAY really was. I would have likely just called it fantasy. Seeing how we got back up after the attacks and the paranoia that followed them makes it all the more easy to suspend disbelief whilst reading warday. Has anyone else here ever read this book?

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09-07-2009, 05:57 PM	#2
W*GS Ring of Famer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 19,487	I read WARDAY years ago. I picked it up recently at a thrift store and skimmed it. There's some interesting stuff in there. One thing that I realized then was that it wasn't well-researched. They have the President "turning the keys" to let the ICBMs loose, but he doesn't do that. The guys in the silos do.

09-07-2009, 06:05 PM	#3
SPfloppy Perennial Pro-bowler Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 880	Yeah, I guess I could have provided a synopsis. Ok, so on 28 October 1988 there is a limited nuclear exchange between the USSSR and the USA. The novel follows two reporters who decide that after 5 years it's time to go out into the remaining country, gather as much information as possible and write a book. Along the way a fascinating series of interviews are given by officials from the former US gov., the British relief agency, the cdc, governors of Texas and a new Hispanic state founded in the aftermath of the 36 minute war. The day is refered to as "WARDAY" by everyone who has any lines in the book. The former under-secratary of defense gives a great blow for blow account of how it happened. Several nuclear bombs were detonated in near space creating an EMP that pretty much screws any chance of a second strike. DC, San Antonio TX and the missile fields of ND and SD are literaly Vaporized by severl high yield weapons detonated almost simultaniously. The USSSR is pretty much leveled. California turns into a police state because they survived intact and use a huge amount of resources to keep people out so they don't deplete what they have. the Brits and the Japanese both are seeming to start thier own little cold war by putting thier hands everywhere that was effected by WARDAY. Anyway if I keep going here I'll be on all night

09-07-2009, 06:09 PM	#4
W*GS Ring of Famer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 19,487	Or: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warday

09-07-2009, 06:14 PM	#5
SPfloppy Perennial Pro-bowler Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 880	^thanx