On Ken Follett’s new novel, I don’t really like apocalyptic literature, but Follett deals with interesting historical topics.
From a The Washington Post review of the novel:
“Just as they did in the days and months preceding the First World War, a variety of circumstances come together to create the conditions for a global catastrophe. “Never” is a cautionary tale about the power of unintended consequences, and it is disturbing and illuminating in equal measure. Follett has always been an accomplished storyteller, but his latest reflects a sense of urgency that lifts it well above typical apocalyptic thrillers. “Never” is first-rate entertainment that has something important to say. It deserves the popular success it will almost certainly achieve.”
My initial opinion when there was a lot of concern in the US about North Korea’s nuclear weapons was that they would self-destruct by ever using them because the US has so much nuclear weaponry it could use in response. Someone made the point though that North Korea could share nuclear weapons with suicidal terrorists who might actually use them.
In the Cold War, there was the concept of mutual assured destruction, meaning the US and the Soviet Union were unlikely to use their nuclear weapons if one country started to because both would likely be largely destroyed, The Police pop song “Russians” seemed to reflect this idea.