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Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe Paperback – Illustrated, March 10, 2020

by Serhii Plokhy (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 739 ratings
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A Chernobyl survivor and the New York Times bestselling author of The Gates of Europe "mercilessly chronicles the absurdities of the Soviet system" in this "vividly empathetic" account of the worst nuclear accident in history (Wall Street Journal).

On the morning of April 26, 1986, Europe witnessed the worst nuclear disaster in history: the explosion of a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet Ukraine. Dozens died of radiation poisoning, fallout contaminated half the continent, and thousands fell ill.

In Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy draws on new sources to tell the dramatic stories of the firefighters, scientists, and soldiers who heroically extinguished the nuclear inferno. He lays bare the flaws of the Soviet nuclear industry, tracing the disaster to the authoritarian character of the Communist party rule, the regime's control over scientific information, and its emphasis on economic development over all else.

Today, the risk of another Chernobyl looms in the mismanagement of nuclear power in the developing world. A moving and definitive account, Chernobyl is also an urgent call to action.
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  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 10, 2020
  4. Dimensions
    5.55 x 1.4 x 8.3 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    154161707X
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1541617070
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A masterful account of how the USSR's bureaucratic dysfunction, censorship, and impossible economic targets produced the disaster and hindered the response."―New York Review of Books

"Gripping, meticulously researched...[Mr. Plokhy] mercilessly chronicles the absurdities of the Soviet system and the arrogance of its apparatchiks. But the fact that he grew up fewer than 500 kilometers south of Chernobyl probably accounts for his vividly empathetic descriptions of the people on the ground -- the plant managers and employees, the firefighters, soldiers and others -- who risked their lives to contain the damage."―Wall Street Journal

"The bare outline of the Chernobyl fire and the Soviet silence have been well covered...Mr. Plokhy, who directs the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard, adds much detail to the...construction that caused the failure, and the false assignment of blame to operating engineers...[His] most telling disclosures deal with how the Soviet subterfuges played a major role in Ukraine's decision to become an independent nation once the Soviet Union disintegrated."―Washington Times

"A lucid account of how the Soviet mania for nuclear power combined with endemic shoddiness in the industrial sector and near-paranoid habits of state secrecy led to the 1986 disaster...The most comprehensive and convincing history of Chernobyl yet to appear in English."―Financial Times

"The first comprehensive history of the Chernobyl disaster...here at last is the monumental history the disaster deserves."―Julie McDowall, Times

"A work of deep scholarship and powerful stroytelling. Plokhy is the master of the telling detail."―Victory Sebestyen, Sunday Times

"Compelling...Plokhy's well-paced narrative plunges the reader into the sweaty, nervous tension of the Chernobyl control room on the fateful night when human frailty and design flaws combined to such devastating effect."―Guardian

"Plokhy's book...sustains a tone of thoughtful observation that is neither too detached nor heavily invested in a particular agenda... [He] delves deeper into the political fallout of Chernobyl, which played a significant role in the break-up of the Soviet Union."―New Statesman

"Haunting...Plokhy's...voice is humane and inflected with nostalgia. His Chernobyl and Prypiat emerge vividly -- as perhaps all disaster -- afflicted cities must-as shattered idylls."―Spectator

"Plokhy recounts the circumstances of the accident and its aftermath in painstaking detail...He tells the story with great assurance and style...A fierce and at times personal indictment of the ideology, bureaucracy and overconfidence of the Soviet system, as well as a strident condemnation of all modern states that continue to pursue military or economic objectives to the detriment of their populations and the environment."―Literary Review

"A history of the nuclear disaster that set precedents -- and standards -- for future mishaps of the kind...Plokhy...concludes that even in the wake of Chernobyl, we have not gotten much better at containing meltdowns...A thoughtful study of catastrophe, unintended consequences, and, likely, nuclear calamities to come."―Kirkus Reviews

"The most comprehensive exploration of the events that led to the Chernobyl disaster.... Engrossing."―Library Journal

"Plokhy...is a brilliant interpreter not only of the events themselves but of their long-term historical significance...As moving as it is painstakingly researched, this book is a tour de force and a cracking read."―Observer

"Historian Serhii Plokhy's deft, richly detailed account draws on newly opened archives and weaves in stories of players such as Chernobyl director Viktor Briukhanov."―Nature

"[Plokhy] casts his lyrical eye on a vast amount of detail, giving readers a sense of dramatic urgency that makes his account difficult to put down.... The further Chernobyl recedes in time, Plokhy writes, the more it fades into myth. His book, however, should help bring us back to reality."―Kristen Iversen, American Scholar

"Serhii Plokhy provides the definitive story of the Chernobyl crisis and its aftermath, skillfully covering all angles from the scientific story, the humanitarian and economic costs of the clean-up, the manner in which the explosion forced Gorbachev to jump-start his perestroika reforms, and the igniting of Ukrainian nationalism." ―Andrew Wilson, Professor of Ukrainian Studies, UCL

"Serhii Plokhy has produced a highly readable account of the Chernobyl disaster and its political impact. It is destined to be the authoritative account for years to come."
―John Herbst, Director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council

"Serhii Plokhy is uniquely qualified to tell this tragic story: he writes not only as a major historian, but also as someone who was living with his family under the cloud of the Chernobyl disaster at the time. The result is as riveting as a novel."
―Mary Elise Sarotte, author of The Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin Wall

"Chernobyl lays out in devastating detail how the Soviets were vastly unprepared, in ways small and large, for what became the worst disaster in the history of nuclear energy...A riveting account...Is it possible that the world might someday forget the horrors that unfolded there three decades ago? Books like Plokhy's should help ensure that that doesn't happen."―Henry Fountain, Undark

"An insightful and important book, that often reads like a good thriller, and that exposes the danger of mixing powerful technology with irresponsible politics."
―Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

About the Author

Serhii Plokhy is the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History and director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University. The New York Times bestselling author of The Gates of Europe and Nuclear Folly, Plokhy is an award-winning author of numerous books. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Reprint edition (March 10, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 154161707X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541617070
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 1.4 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 739 ratings

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Serhii Plokhy

Serhii Plokhy

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Serhii Plokhy is the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard and the director of the university's Ukrainian Research Institute. The author of numerous books, including "The Last Empire," which received the Lionel Gelber Prize for the best book on international relations, and "Chernobyl," which was awarded the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction, Plokhy lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
739 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dr. Victor S. Alpher
5.0 out of 5 stars All That is Important About Chernobyl---Exposure of a Collapsing System Destined for Disaster!
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
The author, a Ukrainian Professor at Harvard, writes a very detailed history of the disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine. This occurred under Gorbachev's watch, and surely hastened the declaration of Ukrainian independence.

Plokhy is an excellent researcher and writer. I felt that while reading this book, I was also gaining an understanding of the immense power of the aging directors of many of the important ministries in the USSR, who were in their 80s. The book shows how the blame is ultimately placed on hte operators of the Chernobyl plant itself. Belarus, with a population of 10 million, sustained the worst exposure to deadly radiation emitted by a type of reactor that is deemed so dangerous that it is not used in the U.S. In the U.S. all reactors have concrete "containers" yet the Chernobyl nuclear plant did not even have this rudimentary safety design. Ukrainians came to the conclusion that the USSR was using Ukraine for its most dangerous construction, giving more hope and confidence to Ukrainian nationalists. The assignation of blame to the operating personnel, and not the planners of the reactor that spewed amazing amounts of radiation into the atmosphere, measurable even in Sweden, went to three men who received 10 year prison sentences. No one in Moscow would take the blame--the man designated to present an account of the disaster to the Internation Atomic Energy Commision in Vienna, succeeded on his 2nd suicide attempt. It was clear that he presented the most honest account possible, highly lauded internationally, but considered "too much" by the minsters in Moscow. In reading the book, I felt the tension for those who knew what actually happened who wished to tell the truth, and the bureaucrats in Moscow who were committed to NOT revealing weaknesses in the Soviet system. Mikhail Gorbachev had hoped to lead the USSR into an economic recovery. Instead, he presided over the ultimate decline of a government that accepted no new ideas, and those who actually had met Lenin had inordinate power. In addition, there was a strong effort afoot to rewrite history and rehabilitate the national and international image of Josef Stalin.

When I visited some of the "new" republics after 2000, I was amazed at how much still looked like the collection of Soviet states from the 1960s to the 1980s, with collapsing infrastructure. It was necessary even in major cities to watch where you stepped because there were holes in the sidewalks that were not marked. One could easily fall into a deep black hole. While these new countries have tried to keep their own cultures intact, the whole system shows lack of investment and upgrading going back 30 to 70 years. The disaster of the type at Chernobyl was inevitable.

We see how Soviet "justice" is manipulated by someone who obviously knows it intimaately. This book is an excellent read, especially if you lived through the time of Chernobyl, and the following collapse of the Soviet system that could not keep up wiwth American productivity in any way.
26 people found this helpful
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Michael K. Stenstrom
5.0 out of 5 stars More on the later impacts of the explosion
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2018
Verified Purchase
I've read about everything I can find on Chernobyl. I am an environmental engineering professor and I am most interested in the impacts of the explosion. Nuclear engineering is not my specialty but it is easy to understand the problems that caused the explosion. This account covers the explosion, the people involved and the consequences but not in the same detail that others have written, such as G Medevdve or Piers Paul Read. I think the precise details of the event will never be known, but the author is a little kinder to Dyatlov. He does state that most observers at the trial believed he was the most culpable. Certainly Medevdve puts the blame squarely on Dyatlov for a variety of bad decisions. What's different about this book is that it is current and contains information on the later effects the explosion. We American's sometimes think we Ronald Reagan outspent the Soviet Union on star wars weapons, but I think the reality is different. Their economy was bad and because of Chernobyl, people understood that they could not believe their government. "Soviet nuclear reactors are safe - it is only in the capitalist west that profits are more important than safety." If you have not read much on Chernobyl then this book will give you a pretty complete understanding of the issues. If you have read a lot, it will give you a little different view on the events leading up to and just after the explosion, but more importantly, a new perspective on the later impacts of damage of the lies and secrecy of the Soviet system on its final demise.
110 people found this helpful
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Stephen C. Moosbrugger
4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2020
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A great summary of the nuclear disaster that is Chernobyl. I found it really interesting and a good read. I felt that sometimes he focused a bit much on statistics instead of the story. But as a result of reading this, I finally feel I have a decent understanding of what went on.
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Jill Boudreau
5.0 out of 5 stars A VERY INTERESTING Read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
If you are wanting to learn about many of the details of the Chernobyl Nuclear Catastrophe, this is the book for you! Lots of names and EXCUSES as to why it all happened and who was responsible. You have to read it carefully to keep the people involved all straight, but a very interesting read about this disaster. It didn't need to happen! It could have been avoided! Read to find out how!
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Fritz
5.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing but Interesting Read
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2018
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Until now nobody really knew what happened to cause the Chernobyl catastrophe, but this book tells it all. It is one of the most interesting (and disturbing) books that I have read in a long time. The book takes you through all of the actions and decisions prior to the accident, during the accident and after the accident. It tells you who made what decision and took what action. It is an amazing read and brings to light what happened during that time. It also brings to light how the Soviet Union would rather endanger the lives of not only citizens of their collective countries but of the world at large before admitting that something had gone terribly wrong at one of their nuclear reactors. The book describes an event that quite literally changed the face of the world politically and ecologically. The truly disturbing thing that I was left with was that there are still similar types of nuclear power plants operating in Russia today and the possibility looms that there could be another Chernobyl in our future.
11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Robbie Hammerton
5.0 out of 5 stars What Russia seems to have forgotten.
Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2022
Verified Purchase
Very informative book particularly bearing in mind current situation in Ukrain. I feel sorry for the Russian troops, Conscripts for the most part, who are most likely going to die a horrible death by Radiation sickness. It is pretty unlikely their cause of death will be correctly recorded ! Like the troops originally sent to Chernobyl, no one appears to have about the health hazard. Just more disposable cannon fodder
I would also recommend Midnight in Chernobyl. Again a very well researched in depth book detailing the Disaster, which quite frankly could have been considerably worse. I read with extreme horror the news from Ukrain ref Russion take over of the plant
2 people found this helpful
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Cynicus Rex
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, badly glued.
Reviewed in Belgium on September 6, 2023
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Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe is as far as I know impartial and meticulously researched. However, in the Titans of Nuclear - Chernobyl Miniseries podcast I've heard the number of radiation caused health problems is far less than what this book presents. In any case, the Chernobyl disaster is an attestation to the importance of proper communication and vigilance against authoritarianism.

--
Other than that, two pages got completely loose without any force. Badly glued or manufacturing fault, I guess.
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Luis Carlos Ortega Rosales
5.0 out of 5 stars 100% recomendado
Reviewed in Mexico on August 5, 2019
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Muy buen libro
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L. Aßmann
5.0 out of 5 stars Endlich
Reviewed in Germany on January 17, 2019
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Endlich eine gründliche Beschreibung der Ereignisse. Trotz der Dicke des Buches sehr lesenswert
2 people found this helpful
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Alberto Righini
4.0 out of 5 stars Storia di un disastro nucleare e politico
Reviewed in Italy on July 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
Ho molto apprezzato la descrizione dell’ambiente tecnico - politico in cui è maturata la tragedia. Mancano i dettagli approfonditi tecnici e fisici dell’incidente, ma questa non è una grande lacuna. È interessante l’analisi politica delle conseguenze del disastro
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