Final Warning: The Legacy of Chernobyl

by Robert Peter Gale, Thomas Hauser

A doctor at the site of the explosion of the Unit 4 nuclear reactor at Chernobyl discusses the tragedy, the diseases it will trigger, the environmental damage caused on a global scale and the hope it offers for a safer world

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Environment

230 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Kyra Walton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted in depth details about the patients and methods used to treat. There was none of that. It was all about his coworkers, touring Russia, complaining about the food, and politics. Boring and tedious.

[Dejo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars really, but nudging towards three.

First thing first, yes, I read this book because of the TV show. It was the physically closest on the topic so I grabbed it.

It was not what I expected and hoped for, bat that's not a bad thing. It only briefly deals with the events of the Chernobyl accident. The main focus is on the medicinal aftermath and the treatment of patients (not surprising since it was written by a doctor of medicine). And that part is really good and interesting. It tells a simple story of why and how doctor Gale got involved in the whole thing and what and how he did to help treat the people and improve relations between the USA and the Soviet Union.
The problem is that about a quarter, maybe even a third of the book is not about Chernobyl at all. Parts of it are about the dangers of nuclear energy and weapons. And I can understand talking about it in this book. Parts are about USA-Soviet relations, and sure, I can find relevance too, and find interest in it as well. But so many times he talks about visiting this and eating that and there is no need for it. Yes at first I found it neccessary as he was pointing out that he had to leave the hospital in Moscow he was working in at 4 p.m. because he was basically not allowed to stay, and was "encouraged" to go sightseeing or whatever. But once that is established I have no need of knowing that he visited Leningrad and this place in Kiev and that place in Moscow. I'm not here for your travel diary. And the many exhibitions he "had" to attend during his several visits were so superfluous to the topic. Or the entire page touching on the topic of Israel and Palestine. Yes, an important topic, but not one for a book titled "The Legacy of Chernobyl".
Like I said, I don't mind I didn't get what I expected, because I got a different take, that still interested me, as long as it stuck to the topic. I quite mind reading about things that just happened to occur while doctor Gale was there.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reading of this almost ten years after the events described and eight after publication is typical as I find most of my books in used book sales. In any case, other than magazine and newspaper articles, this is the sole book I've read about the Chernoblyl disaster. The primary author, Dr. Gale, was there after the event as a medical coordinator, his speciality being in bone marrow transplantation. Although medical issues are discussed, the book is primarily a narrative account of the event and of his journey to and work in the USSR.

[Emily Hewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked the author’s easy-to-understand explanations of nuclear energy and how nuclear bombs work. I wish my high school chemistry teacher could’ve explained atoms that well. The first-person recounting of Chernobyl and the aftermath in the local hospitals was a bit longwinded and dull, but it had some interesting parts. The best sections of this book were the beginning and the end and the author’s “final warning” to society on the dangers of nuclear energy. One thing to note is that this book is incredibly outdated and was written when the USSR still existed so I’m sure some of the information is no longer fully accurate…

[Nancy Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping for more information on the medical side of the Chernobyl accident. This is more of an autobiography of Dr. Gale and his time working with the Soviets after Chernobyl. It also gives him a forum to expand on his thoughts about nuclear power. I was sorely disappointed in its content.

[Karl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huh?

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has three sections, the first gives an overview of Nuclear energy 101, the last section discusses the authors' opinions and suggestions on nuclear policy; however it's the middle section that captured me. Dr. Gale's memoir of working with the Soviet Union right after the disaster is a time capsule of the Cold War. The intensity of the international relations are evident and create ongoing suspense.

I googled information about the nuclear station less than 20 miles from my house the moment I put down the book. Almost 25 years after the book was written, the authors' statement stands: "Too many of us feel we can't possibly fathom nuclear issues and, as a result, we don't think of them at all."