One Second After
by William R. Forstchen, Fiction
Bottom Line: Read it.
Summary: The small town of Black Mountain, North Carolina fights to survive after the United States is hit by an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack.
My Thoughts: This is a book about something that has not yet happened on Earth, but is entirely possible. An EMP is a nuclear explosion that happens far above Earth, causing all present day electronics to instantly fry, sending civilization back a few centuries. There was a government report released to Congress about this threat the same day as the 9/11 Commission Report, which obviously meant it got zero attention. The story of Black Mountain is about how a small community tries its best to survive this disaster. This book is extremely harsh (but probably accurate) in portraying the disintegration of society and all the horrifying things that come with that. One Second After is not for the faint of heart, but is captivating if you can handle the barbarianism and are interested in little known threats to our country…and it will certainly make you think a bit differently the next time you lose power. I’m adding this one to the Books for Guys List.