# Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen

11 Hacker News commenters recommended Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as a chilling, plausible nuclear war scenario with a well-built timeline. Some readers say it loses pace after the opening days and needed more editing.

## Why people recommend it

- Chilling, plausible nuclear war scenario (3 comments): "Just as chilling as her book on nuclear war, in some ways" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49648758)) "the book is much more better at scaring the s out of you" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49774068)) "The Nuclear War scenario seemed a lot more plausible" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49967908))
- Riveting, well-built timeline (2 comments): "The first several days of the scenario were riveting, after that less so." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49960682)) "Well put together, the timeline is interesting" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49933161))
- Vivid look at nuclear war's insanity (2 comments): "discusses the insanity of nuclear war" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46768716)) "Nuclear War is a masterpiece." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49937257))

## What people warn about

- Pace drags after opening days (1 comments): "The first several days of the scenario were riveting, after that less so." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49960682))
- Needed more editing (1 comments): "I did like her nuclear war volume, but it could have used some editing." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49960604))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1804996009?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781804996003) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen", https://hackerapproved.com/p/nuclear-war-a-scenario/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).