This book is a full account of the surreal meltdown of Reactor No.4 of the V.I. Lenin Nuclear Power Plant in Chernobyl. From fatal flaws in Soviet engineering to grueling shiftwork in nuclear plants, Higginbotham tells the story of the worst nuclear disaster in world history and the desperate coverup, blame, and cleanup that followed. I learned both Soviet and nuclear history from this book, making this an enjoyable read for the twentieth century history nerd in me.Publisher's description:
Journalist Adam Higginbotham's definitive, years-in-the-making account of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster--and a powerful investigation into how propaganda, secrecy, and myth have obscured the true story of one of the twentieth century's greatest disasters. Midnight in Chernobyl is an indelible portrait of one of the great disasters of the twentieth century, of human resilience and ingenuity, and the lessons learned when mankind seeks to bend the natural world to his will--lessons which, in the face of climate change and other threats, remain not just vital but necessary.