The Third World War: August 1985 [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

General Sir John Hackett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 1990

Early in 1977 a retired NATO general called together six of his collegues--including an admiral, an airman, an economist and a diplomat--to write a dramatized game-plan for the next world war.

A sensational international bestseller, it is a vivid, detailed, and often blood-curdling on-the-spot report from the battle fronts of a "real war", from tank assaults to air clashes to ICBM launchings, based on an insider's knowledge of weaponry and actual NATO and Soviet battle strategies.

In the light of changes in Eastern Europe the question now is: Could it ever have happened? Could it ever happen again?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

11 1.5-hour cassettes

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Books on Tape, Inc. (June 5, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736617795
• ISBN-13: 978-0736617796
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,072,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Third World War: August 1985, August 18, 2000

By 

"hydrans" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Third World War: August 1985 (Audio Cassette)

I have been searching for this book for the past 3 years, since I lost my original copy in the move to Australia. John Hackett writes a book which is fluid in its description of the horrific actions of Nuclear War. Not a small book by any means, the 800+ pages seems to only last a day when reading it. Whether you are in Iceland with the marooned marine, against an island crawling with Soviet soldiers, or dieing in a flash of blazing light in Birmingham, the story is just as real and exciting.

This book has left such a picture in my mind, that I can remember most details of the storyline, after reading it when I was 14 (12 years ago), I tried to read it again 3 years ago after reading some Dale Brown and Tom Clancy, although DC and TC write a fantastic read the details of the story are not as good as this well informed NATO General and his motley crew. It is a pity he only has one more book, I wish that he had written more.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best cold war - what if - book written, October 5, 2001

By 

Robert Walters (Canton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Third World War: August 1985 (Audio Cassette)

This book is about the Soviets invading Germany starting the Third world war. This is not your ususal Tom Clancy style book, but is a Geopolitical look at what could happen. (at the time it was written) The perspective is very different, written as if it was done after the war from news paper, and wire reports.

It is not a book for those who just want to read about things getting blown up, this is a serious military and political essay on what was a huge posablilty at the time. The authors go into great depth to explain everything in detail, and there is a great glossery in the back og the book for those who are not up on the military terms.

There are some good combat action scenes, but there is just as much politics as action. I personally got bored with the politics after awhile, but after re-reading it 15 years later, I have to admit it does add to the book.

The author does have a good eye for detail, and knows his stuff, so much so that it is not always easy to read. At over 800 pages it gets a litle long, but it covers all facets of the war, from the action on the ground, the air, the oceans, and finally the nuclear option.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for its time, March 2, 2008

By 

H. Wilson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Third World War, August 1985 (Hardcover)

I first bought and read this book in hardback as a first edition while in the US Army. It wasn't reviewed as a "literary project" so much as a dire warning to NATO countries in general and the US in particular if steps were not taken to face the growing Soviet threat at a key juncture in the Cold War. In that respect, the book succeeded, as President Reagan's modernization plan went into effect. Some may scoff that all Reagan did was turn the US from a creditor nation into a debtor nation in the early 1980's. However, as someone who served on the Inter-German Boundary tripwire while this equipment modernization process was taking place, every military professional who had read the book by that point was keeping track of how fast our readiness programs were going as we advanced towards the "August, 1985" deadline Sir John Hackett had given us to prepare by. For perspective, picture yourself and your unit outnumbered 5 to 1, on alert and deploying forward as martial law is declared in Poland in 1981...