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War Plan UK
Duncan Campbell, award-winning former staff writer on the New Statesman, reports on the results of five years' research into the real face of British civil defence.
• Millions will die as a direct result of government civil defence policies. The facts about the effects of nuclear attack on Britain are being consistently understated.
• There will be no rescue or medical aid for the trapped and dying in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.
• Secret civil defence plans stress sealing off cities, interning protesters and pacifists, and impounding food and fuel supplies.
• The real and only priority of civil defense is the protection of government and its war-making capacity.
• Home Defence plans are primarily designed to suppress dissent and asset government control in any crisis - peace or war.
War Plan UK reveals...
• Where the "privileged few" will full details of hundreds of bunkers and who will use them.
• Fifty years of muddle, miscalculation, waste and government deception of the public over civil defence.
War Plan UK starts with the full plans and scenarios for Hard Rock 82 - the war game that the govermnment abandoned becuse British Councils refused to "play".
• Millions will die as a direct result of government civil defence policies. The facts about the effects of nuclear attack on Britain are being consistently understated.
• There will be no rescue or medical aid for the trapped and dying in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.
• Secret civil defence plans stress sealing off cities, interning protesters and pacifists, and impounding food and fuel supplies.
• The real and only priority of civil defense is the protection of government and its war-making capacity.
• Home Defence plans are primarily designed to suppress dissent and asset government control in any crisis - peace or war.
War Plan UK reveals...
• Where the "privileged few" will full details of hundreds of bunkers and who will use them.
• Fifty years of muddle, miscalculation, waste and government deception of the public over civil defence.
War Plan UK starts with the full plans and scenarios for Hard Rock 82 - the war game that the govermnment abandoned becuse British Councils refused to "play".
659 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 24, 2014
As an academic and historical document about British Civil Defense preparations and policies of the Cold War, War Plan UK may never be equaled: by the time the relevant documents become unclassified, the subject may have become so moot as never to inspire the kind of passionate investigation that Mr. Campbell brings to it. In writing a work of political advocacy aimed at 1980s Britain, however, he seems to have ironically run into the same conundrum that prevented the British Government from developing a coherent or meaningful policy on Civil Defense during the Cold War years: the sheer destructive potential and inherent insanity of nuclear war makes nearly any policy appear unacceptably bad in the right light. Mr. Campbell, despite his unquestionable chops as an investigative journalist, is no closer to coming up with a good one than two generations of British ministers and civil servants were.
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March 7, 2026How do you rate this?
Five stars for its research?
One star because it’s terrifying reading it, and I certainly didn’t enjoy it?
I settled for the only logical rating which is to not rate it at all.
I can’t speak for contemporary Britain but, in the United States there is this curious fusion at the highest levels of two currents. First is a nihilistic mindset valuing humiliation for humiliation’s sake and destruction for destruction’s sake. The welfare state here- even at the best of times-has been a flimsy thing and after Reagan and his successors have hacked away at it what remains is a sprawling regulatory system that exists solely to say ‘no.’ The costs inherent in maintaining this system far exceed any benefits that they pay out to its recipients. It would be considerably cheaper to simply cut poor people a check every month to do with what they wished than making them submit to drug testing; employing an army of bureaucrats to determine what food is suitably bland to qualify for assistance; denying certain medications and treatments; scouring rental properties to find the most austere accommodations…
The second is a Christian fundamentalism that imagines itself not just the correct practitioner of Christianity but one that is also divinely sanctioned to fulfill Biblical prophecy. Point in fact in our ongoing foray into Iran some commanders briefed the men under their command that this was not the standard “regime change” of yesteryear; rather, this was a mission to bring about Biblical Armageddon.
Bad as this is already our nihilistic Christian-fundamentalist state also has a substantial nuclear arsenal.
Back to the book- where the author reveals that Britain has a set of plans however pitiful they might be they do at least attempt to imagine a structure to reconstitute society. The intrusive thoughts in my head tell me that a good bit of leadership thinks that they’re all going to be raptured should the missiles start flying and anyone else left behind is none of their concern anyway. Another- and not necessarily exclusive portion- is going to see a nuclear exchange as the ultimate culling to sweep away the undeserving masses. If the British government’s plans are so callous I do not want to know what the United States government’s plans are.
Five stars for its research?
One star because it’s terrifying reading it, and I certainly didn’t enjoy it?
I settled for the only logical rating which is to not rate it at all.
I can’t speak for contemporary Britain but, in the United States there is this curious fusion at the highest levels of two currents. First is a nihilistic mindset valuing humiliation for humiliation’s sake and destruction for destruction’s sake. The welfare state here- even at the best of times-has been a flimsy thing and after Reagan and his successors have hacked away at it what remains is a sprawling regulatory system that exists solely to say ‘no.’ The costs inherent in maintaining this system far exceed any benefits that they pay out to its recipients. It would be considerably cheaper to simply cut poor people a check every month to do with what they wished than making them submit to drug testing; employing an army of bureaucrats to determine what food is suitably bland to qualify for assistance; denying certain medications and treatments; scouring rental properties to find the most austere accommodations…
The second is a Christian fundamentalism that imagines itself not just the correct practitioner of Christianity but one that is also divinely sanctioned to fulfill Biblical prophecy. Point in fact in our ongoing foray into Iran some commanders briefed the men under their command that this was not the standard “regime change” of yesteryear; rather, this was a mission to bring about Biblical Armageddon.
Bad as this is already our nihilistic Christian-fundamentalist state also has a substantial nuclear arsenal.
Back to the book- where the author reveals that Britain has a set of plans however pitiful they might be they do at least attempt to imagine a structure to reconstitute society. The intrusive thoughts in my head tell me that a good bit of leadership thinks that they’re all going to be raptured should the missiles start flying and anyone else left behind is none of their concern anyway. Another- and not necessarily exclusive portion- is going to see a nuclear exchange as the ultimate culling to sweep away the undeserving masses. If the British government’s plans are so callous I do not want to know what the United States government’s plans are.
November 25, 2012
A copy of this was difficult to get hold of. Having moved house to a quiet location very close to a recently decomissioned (regional government) nuclear bunker that is now open as a museum, I was keen to lear a lot more about the facts behind the rumours.
Duncan Campbell emphasises from the outset that the UK government of the time made provision only for the protection of select high ranking officials and not the general public in the event of a nuclear exchange with Soviet Russia.
Meticulously researched with countless facts about the (often flawed) plans and exercises that went on unbeknown to the public, Campbell exposes locations, architecture, transport plans and even the personnel who would be supposedly in charge of a post apocalyptic UK.
Quite what would be left to govern in unthinkable.
Interestingly "Citadels" is a word he uses throughout instead of "bunkers."
I wished that I had read this in 1982 when it was originally published but I would have been far too terrified.
Chilling.
My question is, "After the Cold War, these weapons haven't disappeared. Where is all this going on NOW?"
Good luck in finding a copy.
Duncan Campbell emphasises from the outset that the UK government of the time made provision only for the protection of select high ranking officials and not the general public in the event of a nuclear exchange with Soviet Russia.
Meticulously researched with countless facts about the (often flawed) plans and exercises that went on unbeknown to the public, Campbell exposes locations, architecture, transport plans and even the personnel who would be supposedly in charge of a post apocalyptic UK.
Quite what would be left to govern in unthinkable.
Interestingly "Citadels" is a word he uses throughout instead of "bunkers."
I wished that I had read this in 1982 when it was originally published but I would have been far too terrified.
Chilling.
My question is, "After the Cold War, these weapons haven't disappeared. Where is all this going on NOW?"
Good luck in finding a copy.
July 9, 2018
Very well researched, but undermined somewhat by the tendentiousness of the narrative. The author seems put out that those in charge only made provision for their own survival while neglecting the rest of us. But 1. it's hardly a surprise; 2. if the author's research is accurate, even those provisions put in place for the great and the good didn't add up to very much and probably wouldn't have survived first contact; and 3. who would want to survive anyway? Obviously much of the information is outdated now. And I wouldn't say it was a riveting read. Nevertheless, as a historical document it provides interesting insight into the mindset of those whose job it was to plan such things.
April 22, 2014
It's a bit dated, but a fascinating read.
October 4, 2014
The book that confirms our suspicions only the privileged would be saved...
February 23, 2023
A very well researched book on topics that prove difficult to get any information on.
Full of photos & maps detailing locations of various bunkers throughout history as well as their timelines.
A particular area of interest for me was Corsham & this book has plenty of information on it.
Full of photos & maps detailing locations of various bunkers throughout history as well as their timelines.
A particular area of interest for me was Corsham & this book has plenty of information on it.
May 2, 2020
As brilliant as it is chilling.
April 8, 2021
Very useful
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews