Customer Reviews

War Day and the Journey Onward

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WARDAY is the literary equivalent of a Peter Watkins film; indeed what it most closely resembles is his brilliant 1965 "documentary" THE WAR GAME. What the writers of WARDAY share with Watkins is a wholly originaly concept for dealing with a work of art that depicts the possible effects of a nuclear war: treat it like a documentary about the dread event--as if the nuclear war HAD occurred. The scenarios (spun out and supported by a ton of research)of what occurs after a "limited" nuclear war( just NYC and WASH DC and parts of Texas actually get vaporized) are so much more chilling than other books of this kind--because of that intensely personal and REALISTIC feeling that the authors are able to achieve--and also because the nuclear war depicted isn't so devastaing as to be incomprehensible; this is one of the top three apocalyptic novels of the late 20th century; truly a masterpiece. This book frightened me like very few others precisely because it felt so real; let's all just hope that we never have to find out first hand whether Strieber & Kunetka were correct in their speculations.

This is about the best of the post nuke novels around.

The plot is simple, two writers, having survived a very limited nuclear exchange between the Soviet Union and the United States journey around the United States to gather what has happenned to the Country. Along the way, as is foreshadowed above they tell their own stories of survival, as well as interview numerous people- a british navel officer, a canadian banker, a former cabinet menber, a priest and so on. This is combined with the stories of the central narrators who not only reveal their own stories, but tell of their travel.

The central premise is not so much a full collapse of society, but rather a broken and battered United States, with States and territories leaving the Union, independence movements and dependent on overseas aid primarily from the United Kingdom, and Japan.

All in all a solid novel, enjoyable and very readible. Because in many cases the interviews with people are short, you are often left wandering what happened to them in the finish. Well worth a read, and not just by "apocalyptic" fiction fans. Its better than "the stand" anyway.

WarDay was an novel written by Whitley Strieber and a co-author. Whitley worked on the novel parts whilst his co-writer was incharge of the technical data and research of nucler warfare and fallout data. The books is very well researched and a captivating read. The story follows two men on their travels across the United States and document the after effects of a limited exchange of nuclear tipped missles and the change it has on the people.

The novel begins as an ordinary day for Whitley Strieber. There has been rumors of a oncoming conflict but nothing to be concerned about. Out of the blue, several incoming ICBMs strike New York City and the surrounding areas. Life in the United States will never be the same again. One of the best novels wriiten about this subject.

Highly Recommended.

I have read this book dozens of times. I buy copies at the used book store and give them away to people! Post WWIII America, as seen by two travelling journalists, although still the United States, is a changed, humbled, quiet place. Much of the population has been killed, but America presses on, in many directions. I recommend this book to any and all, regardless of your political stripe. You will not put it down until you are finished reading it.

The most entertaining book I've ever read. Chilling, realistic and extremely well thought through. This book really brings home the concept of weapons of mass destruction and what they are capable of doing to us all.

The level of detail is amazing. My favorite example of this is the short conversation with the Canadian on the train.

If you can find this book, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

I've had this book in paperback for a number of years and re-read it every so often. It's a great read- a realistic account of the aftermath of a nuclear war. No magic, no special effects. Just folks trying to put their lives back together. I keep it on my shelf with "Alas, Babylon", Hammerfall and Emergence. All great books. They're starting to fall apart so I'm trying to find them in hardcover.

Presented as an actual historical study of the effects of a limited nuclear exchange on the US, War Day and the Jounrey Onward is an intriguing read and far superior to Strieber's current non-fiction output. Recommended.

Read this awesome book in 1984 when I worked in Sudan, Africa. It made a great impression on me. Only recently I found its title via Google and ordered it for a dear friend's birthday. Which proves that memory is imperfect: this book's impact has been deep, but its title and authors not.
What impressed this reader then and now is how graphically the aftermath of a massive Soviet nuclear and electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) strike on the USA was described. Airplanes stalled in midair, mainframes, radios and TV's went silent: anything working on transistors was instantly useless.[PCs, laptops, the internet or smartphones did not exist, were beyond imagination]. Technology not running on electronics instantly became wanted items,like DC-3's and older cars.
"Warday" is a wide ranging report about the aftermath of nuclear and EMP conflict. As a result, the USA disintegrates, with some parts falling under the influence of foreign nations. At least one newly-formed confederation requests development aid from the United Kingdom. In dead cities like New York, buildings are stripped of its copper by rural rogue teams despite packs of feral dogs and high levels of radiation. Among Afro-Americans storytellers become vital means of communication again. There is plenty more to shiver about.
From recent accounts in e.g. "The Economist" of the NATO campaign in Libya in 2011, it appears that some missile systems used EMP to knock out Libyan radar and communication systems. The paper described EMP's future in rosy terms: the outcome of its miniaturized technology will not be as crude and lethal as in "Warday", but capable to stall enemy tanks or the outboard engines of Colombian drug runners or Somali pirates. Which is a good thing, winning conflicts without causing massive bloodshed and eternal resentment...
"Warday" never became a bestseller. It progressed from hardcover to paperback, then stalled. To refresh my memory I ordered it again. "Warday" is a fantasy novel the Pentagon has perhaps taken seriously and acted upon. Will be in my top-20 of best books forever.

I really enjoyed this book. I picked up a used copy here on amazon. Passable condition, hey , I knew I was getting used, and good ship time with reasonable rate.

I'm a big fan of this book. It was gritty and felt very real. Very believable. I would consider this the most believable book on the topic I've read. I highly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down.

I read this book when it first came out in the mid-eighties, and found the premise a little hard to swallow. That the Soviets would respond to a US-launched satellite missile defense system with a full-on nuclear attack was a bit far-fetched, even in a decade of heavy US-Soviet tension.

Upon re-reading it a few weeks ago, however, I discovered it to be even more frightening. Change "Soviet Union" to "Terrorists" and you have an easily believable and highly possible nuclear war.

The story is told from the point of view of the authors, one a former horror fiction writer, the other a journalist, as they travel across post-nuclear America in search of material for a book. It begins with a description of the attack, which goes awry and only destroys Washington DC, New York City, San Antonio, and missile silos in the Midwest.

Relatively few people are killed outright by the bombs, but the book tells of the millions who would die a lingering death as a result of famine, long term radiation effects, and disease epidemics. Relatively few cities are destroyed, but the entire country ends up devastated by the effects of technological and economic collapse. Unaffected areas become paranoid and hostile to displaced survivors, and other nations see the chance to take over the weakened United States by way of "relief services."

The writing and day-to-day journalistic style is generally good, but becomes annoyingly heavy-handed in spots. (A child with severe chicken pox is named "Dotty." Getting a little punchy toward the end of the book, boys?)
The addition of maps, surveys, and government documents is a nice touch that adds to the realism of the story.

One thing this book lacks, which I found refreshing, is the usual post-apocalyptic plethora of radiation-crazed cannibals, mutant monsters, zombies, and freakish road gangs. Everyone in this book is simply human, some more damaged by the war than others. Though I appreciate a good zombie tale now and then, this very realistic attempt to portray the effects of a limited nuclear exchange is terrifying in its verisimilitude, and much more likely to keep one awake at night.