One Second After
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

In a Norman Rockwell town in North Carolina, where residents rarely lock homes, retired army colonel John Matherson teaches college, raises two daughters, and grieves the loss of his wife to cancer. When phones die and cars inexplicably stall, Grandma's pre-computerized Edsel takes readers to a stunning scene on the car-littered interstate, on which 500 stranded strangers, some with guns, awaken John's New Jersey street-smart instincts to get the family home and load the shotgun. Next morning, some townspeople realize that an electromagnetic pulse weapon has destroyed America's power grid, and they proceed to set survival priorities. John's list includes insulin for his type-one diabetic 12-year-old, candy bars, and sacks of ice. Deaths start with heart attacks and eventually escalate alarmingly. Food becomes scarce, and societal breakdown proceeds with inevitable violence; towns burn, and ex-servicemen recall Korea in '51 as military action by unlikely people becomes the norm in Forstchen's sad, riveting cautionary tale, the premise of which Newt Gingrich's foreword says is completely possible.--Scott, Whitney Copyright 2009 Booklist

In this entertaining apocalyptic thriller from Forstchen (We Look Like Men of War), a high-altitude nuclear bomb of uncertain origin explodes, unleashing a deadly electromagnetic pulse that instantly disables almost every electrical device in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. Airplanes, most cars, cellphones, refrigerators-all are fried as the country plunges into literal and metaphoric darkness. History professor John Matherson, who lives with his two daughters in a small North Carolina town, soon figures out what has happened. Aided by local officials, Matherson begins to deal with such long-term effects of the disaster as starvation, disease and roving gangs of barbarians. While the material sometimes threatens to veer into jingoism, and heartstrings are tugged a little too vigorously, fans of such classics as Alas, Babylon and On the Beach will have a good time as Forstchen tackles the obvious and some not-so-obvious questions the apocalypse tends to raise. Newt Gingrich provides a foreword. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The explosion of nuclear bombs in space by an unknown adversary emits electromagnetic pulses (EMP) that instantly and permanently disable electronic devices throughout the United States, wreaking havoc. -Forstchen's (We Look Like Men of War) well-crafted and compelling story, which focuses on one man's struggle to protect his family in an isolated North Carolina town, reminds us of how helpless we'd be without modern technology-a chilling thought, as EMP is a real threat to the industrialized world. Elegantly narrated by Joe Barrett (The Lay of the Land); a haunting, essential listen.-R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

An electromagnetic pulse weapon triggered by high-altitude nuclear explosions destroys America's power grid, halting computerized transportation and communication systems. The aftermath includes rapid societal breakdowns, violence, and deaths. Retired army colonel and college teacher John Matherson's stoic determination that his family survive the chaos is convincingly communicated through Barrett's deep, brooding tones. He wrings every ounce of emotion from such wrenching scenes as a mercy killing of the beloved family dog. Most compelling are his realistic enactments of Matherson's deterioration from infection as the take-charge teacher insists on working until collapse and grim excitement as renegade town forces stand up to marauding outsiders. A compelling, cautionary tale. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

The explosion of nuclear bombs in space by an unknown adversary emits electromagnetic pulses (EMP) that instantly and permanently disable electronic devices throughout the United States, wreaking havoc. Forstchen's (We Look Like Men of War) well-crafted and compelling story, which focuses on one man's struggle to protect his family in an isolated North Carolina town, reminds us of how helpless we'd be without modern technology—a chilling thought, as EMP is a real threat to the industrialized world. Elegantly narrated by Joe Barrett (The Lay of the Land); a haunting, essential listen.—R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA