The atomic bombs of 1945 changed everything. For the next forty years, the mushroom cloud loomed large in public imaginations and fear of the blast’s apocalyptic power coloured every aspect of British daily life. From makeshift shelters and herbal remedies to sirens that offered four-minute escapes, ordinary people were taught how to save themselves in the face of a catastrophe that was not survivable. Meanwhile, bunkers were readied for those officials and experts who would ensure life continued after Armageddon. At once chilling and darkly funny, this is the story of how Britain braced for nuclear conflict and of how, so long as nuclear weapons exist, the threat of total annihilation will always be with us.
