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Fail Safe (Paperback)

~ Eugene Burdick (Author), Harvey Wheeler (Author) "Peter Buck walked up to the N Street entrance of the White House..." (more)
Key Phrases: General Bogan, Colonel Cascio, Big Board (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
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Product Description

Something has gone wrong. A group of American bombers armed with nuclear weapons is streaking past the fail-safe point, beyond recall, and no one knows why. Their destination -- Moscow.

In a bomb shelter beneath the White House, the calm young president turns to his Russian translator and says, "I think we are ready to talk to Premier Kruschchev." Not far away, in the War Room at the Pentagon, the secretary of defense and his aides watch with growing anxiety as the luminous blips crawl across a huge screen map. High over the Bering Strait in a large Vindicator bomber, a colonel stares in disbelief at the attack code number on his fail-safe box and wonders if it could possibly be a mistake.

First published in 1962, when America was still reeling from the Cuban missle crisis, Fail-Safe reflects the apocalyptic attitude that pervaded society during the height of the Cold War, when disaster could have struck at any moment. As more countries develop nuclear capabilities and the potential for new enemies lurks on the horizon, Fail-Safe and its powerful issues continue to respond.

About the Author

Eugene Burdick (1918-1965) taught at the University of California at Berkely and was chairman of the World Affairs Council in San Francisco. Among his many books is The Ugly American, the internationally famous novel written with Bill Lederer.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Perennial (July 10, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 088001654X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0880016544
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #389,446 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Eugene Burdick
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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First Sentence:
Peter Buck walked up to the N Street entrance of the White House. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
General Bogan, Colonel Cascio, Big Board, War Room, New York, Air Force, White House, Premier Khrushchev, United States, General Black, General Koniev, Marshal Nevsky, Congressman Raskob, Soviet Union, Condition Red, Evelyn Wolfe, World War, American Ambassador, San Francisco, Ned Black, Sergeant Collins, United Nations, Colonel Grady, Colonel Stark, Condition Yellow
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Customer Reviews

30 Reviews
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4.2 out of 5 stars (30 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Cold War Thriller, August 23, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Fail-Safe, (Hardcover)
The arms race takes a turn for the worst as a nuclear strike is accidentally started. The fate of millions depends on the diplomacy of the highest echelons of government and the act of one man. It all seems like a bad movie plot now but thirty years ago, this was the fear in the hearts of all. I read this book in 1982 when the nuclear threat was still quite real but nowhere near as intense as it was during the early 60's. You'll finish reading this book wondering, "Were we ever this close to the end of the world?". The greatest horror stories are the ones that could actually happen. As dated as it is, Eugene Burdick still manages to take you on a wild ride to the Apocalypse.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful thriller, May 30, 2001
Although somewhat dated, "Fail-Safe" is a taught novel that ranks among the best Cold War thrillers. The characters have real depth, and the writing moves at a brisk, tense...but not hurried pace. In fact, the authors do such an excellent job of cranking up the tension in one long, slow pull, I felt almost physically drained upon finishing it.

Of particular note, the authors have succeeded in writing a novel that operates on two levels. In the tradition of "On the Beach" by Shute, "Fail-Safe" is both a gripping novel, and a thoughtful commentary on the almost absurd politics of the Cold War. The authors examine what was at the time a very real concern about the hair-trigger between peace and global destruction; the concern that machines were supplanting humans. In so doing they reveal more about the mentality of the Cold War than many works of history.

In the end, "Fail-Safe" does a superb job of capturing the terror of the Cold War. It succeeds as both a thriller, and as a work of thought provoking literature. Enjoy!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a book that makes you think, October 21, 2007
I had read this book maybe 40 years ago when I was in school. I recommended it to my 17 year old son for a book report in light of all the conflicts in our world today. He not only was "in awe" after reading the book, he got an A on his report. If you read the book, follow it up with the movie... the original (black and white) NOT the remake! Larry Hagman plays the role of Buck superbly!!!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding
This is one of those books you can't put down. I read it back in 1973, saw the original movie )very faithful to the book) and the remake, all of which were excellent... Read more
Published 3 months ago by cpt matt

1.0 out of 5 stars very dumb ending
This book cannot be taken seriously... The ending would never happen. It has the most absurd ending of any popular novel.

The U.S. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Clifford

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb tale, tainted by political baggage
This is an excellent fictional tale of what happens when a minor electronic malfunction sends a group of strategic bombers with a nuclear payload towards Moscow. Read more
Published on November 18, 2007 by C. J. Leach

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Freakin' Good
Some parts i felt were a little long, and just dialog, but the ending was a shock and the majority of the writing was really good. Read more
Published on June 8, 2007 by And I Quote

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Cold War novel still packs a punch
Fail Safe epitomized the dangers of the Cold War, and no less than Herman Kahn at the famous Hudson Institute think tank gave the novel's thesis even more credibility by... Read more
Published on February 24, 2007 by magellan

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
I used this book for a very small group of high schoolers to satisfy an American Lit requirement as well as to introduce an American History unit on The Cold War. Read more
Published on January 13, 2007 by Celeste Shimida

2.0 out of 5 stars Readable, but just barely
The real thing? The best ever? You Amazon reviewers let me down again. I didn't mind that it was 44 yrs old and quite dated. Read more
Published on December 29, 2006 by gllcanon

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping, Fast-Paced and Frightening
This 1962 thriller is one of the most frightening novels ever penned. The story grips the readers with tension and fear after the U.S. Read more
Published on December 24, 2006 by K.A.Goldberg

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Thriller
A group of American Vindicator bombers, armed with nuclear weapons, go flying past their fail-safe point, heading towards Moscow. Read more
Published on March 16, 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate "What if..." novel.
The ultimate "What if..." novel of the post-War era, FAIL-SAFE still holds up remarkably [and tragically] well in the post-9/11 era. Read more
Published on July 12, 2004 by Rocco Dormarunno

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