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Apocalypse Any Day Now: Deep Underground with America's Doomsday Preppers
Everyone always seems to be talking about the end of the world—Y2K, the Mayan apocalypse, blood moon prophecies, nuclear war, killer robots, you name it. In Apocalypse Any Day Now , journalist Tea Krulos travels the country to try to puzzle out America’s obsession with the end of days. Along the way he meets doomsday preppers—people who stockpile supplies and learn survival skills—as well as religious prognosticators and climate scientists. He camps out with the Zombie Squad (who use a zombie apocalypse as a survival metaphor); tours the Survival Condos, a luxurious bunker built in an old Atlas missile silo; and attends Wasteland Weekend, where people party like the world has already ended. Frightening and funny, the ideas Krulos explores range from ridiculously outlandish to alarmingly near and present dangers.
240 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2019
8 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Tea Krulos
14 books86 followersI'm a journalist and author from Milwaukee, WI. I've written for a wide range of publications and have authored 6 non-fiction books: Heroes in the Night (2013), Monster Hunters (2015), Apocalypse Any Day Now (2019), Wisconsin Legends & Lore (2020), American Madness (2020), and Brady Street Pharmacy: Stories and Sketches (2021). I also contributed a chapter to The Supernatural in Society, Culture, and History (2018).
I write a weekly column on my website called "Tea's Weird Week."
I write a weekly column on my website called "Tea's Weird Week."
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 7, 2023
Well, it wasn’t nearly as insulting as I thought it would be.
April 9, 2019
This was such a interesting listen and one that ending up surprising me, in a really good way. I thought it would be a fun book as I don’t really know anything about American Preppers/ Survivalists, save for what crops up in the media, films and books. You know Rambo types who are really wacky and paranoid willing to kill anyone who comes near them?
Maybe it’s because I was a teenager in the 1980s and remember the very real threat of WW3, that I’m quite blasé about the threat of nuclear war and the end of the world. I remember having nightmares at the time and was very anxious about what was going on between the Kremlin and the Whitehouse. Even though there’s been sabre rattling between Trump and Kim Jong-un recently it doesn’t feel as real as it did back in the 80s.
Some of the groups the author met were so paranoid about the end of the world in some form that they have regular practice drills with their families and animals so they’ll be ready when it happens. These groups are also convinced that the government will have something to do with the end that they’ll need to arm themselves to stay safe.
There were other groups who were keen to prepare in the event of natural disasters and not relying on the government to help them out. This seemed very sensible and not at all paranoid so definitely breaking the stereotypes.
I also enjoyed listening to the chapter about climate change. I initially thought I might skip this as I thought it would be a very depressing chapter but actually it wasn’t.
Living on an island covered in WW2 bunkers from the Nazi Occupation, the chapter about the doomsday bunkers of the rich and famous was rather strange. Why anyone would want to live in an re-furbished ex government cold war bunker I don’t know, but I guess if you’re filthy rich what else are you going to spend your money on?
Eric Michael Summerer a new-to-me narrator was perfect for this audiobook, making it sound like it really was the author reading his own book. I will definitely be seeking out more audiobooks read by him in the future.
I thoroughly recommend this audiobook if you enjoy nonfiction with a quirky subject.
Thanks so much to Hope Roy at Tantor Media for my digital review copy.
Maybe it’s because I was a teenager in the 1980s and remember the very real threat of WW3, that I’m quite blasé about the threat of nuclear war and the end of the world. I remember having nightmares at the time and was very anxious about what was going on between the Kremlin and the Whitehouse. Even though there’s been sabre rattling between Trump and Kim Jong-un recently it doesn’t feel as real as it did back in the 80s.
Some of the groups the author met were so paranoid about the end of the world in some form that they have regular practice drills with their families and animals so they’ll be ready when it happens. These groups are also convinced that the government will have something to do with the end that they’ll need to arm themselves to stay safe.
There were other groups who were keen to prepare in the event of natural disasters and not relying on the government to help them out. This seemed very sensible and not at all paranoid so definitely breaking the stereotypes.
I also enjoyed listening to the chapter about climate change. I initially thought I might skip this as I thought it would be a very depressing chapter but actually it wasn’t.
Living on an island covered in WW2 bunkers from the Nazi Occupation, the chapter about the doomsday bunkers of the rich and famous was rather strange. Why anyone would want to live in an re-furbished ex government cold war bunker I don’t know, but I guess if you’re filthy rich what else are you going to spend your money on?
Eric Michael Summerer a new-to-me narrator was perfect for this audiobook, making it sound like it really was the author reading his own book. I will definitely be seeking out more audiobooks read by him in the future.
I thoroughly recommend this audiobook if you enjoy nonfiction with a quirky subject.
Thanks so much to Hope Roy at Tantor Media for my digital review copy.
June 3, 2019
Tea Krulos does a decent job profiling those who prepare for catastrophic endings of life as we know it by highlighting their beliefs and fears, but not judging them too harshly or portraying them as crazy folks.
Whether it's by nuclear attack, economic collapse, global warming (if you believe in that), asteroid strikes or ancient Mayan predictions the world's ending is taken seriously by people who have in place "bug-out" plans to move to the hills or underground. One of the more interesting chapters, I found, was the developer of a 15-story condo built in a decommissioned Kansas missile silo. Krulos shows the culture who are willing to pay the big bucks to buy a small, apartment-sized space in the complex and the belief of those who are now owners that they made a wise decision.
There are also segments where Krulos goes to camp with Creek Stewart, the host of survival television shows, and visits a Mad Max-like party where participants do battle and drive steampunk vehicles like in the old Mel Gibson/ Tina Turner movies.
The final chapter is also "out there." Really. Krulos focuses on a group that plans to begin colonizing Mars within 25 years. Again, he reserves judgment on those who want to move there and lets them speak for themselves. The readers can determine if they are nuts or not.
The downside is that this is too short of a book. It's an enjoyable, interesting read that could have gone on for many pages. Krulos touches on the subjects briefly, including bits on Nostradamus and other prophets. He also adds former end of the world predictions that, obviously, failed.
On a personal note: Krulos opens the book with a tale of him sitting on a bluff in his home town of Milwaukee on Sept. 26-27, 2015, while watching the total lunar eclipse of the "blood moon." Some predictors, including religious fellow Kenneth Hagee, said that was the sign of the end of the world. About 50 miles to the south on the same night, I spent my second date with my sweetie in a field near Waukegan, Ill., watching for the same eclipse. Clouds blocked our view, but the world didn't end and I'm still with her after 2.5 years now, too.
Whether it's by nuclear attack, economic collapse, global warming (if you believe in that), asteroid strikes or ancient Mayan predictions the world's ending is taken seriously by people who have in place "bug-out" plans to move to the hills or underground. One of the more interesting chapters, I found, was the developer of a 15-story condo built in a decommissioned Kansas missile silo. Krulos shows the culture who are willing to pay the big bucks to buy a small, apartment-sized space in the complex and the belief of those who are now owners that they made a wise decision.
There are also segments where Krulos goes to camp with Creek Stewart, the host of survival television shows, and visits a Mad Max-like party where participants do battle and drive steampunk vehicles like in the old Mel Gibson/ Tina Turner movies.
The final chapter is also "out there." Really. Krulos focuses on a group that plans to begin colonizing Mars within 25 years. Again, he reserves judgment on those who want to move there and lets them speak for themselves. The readers can determine if they are nuts or not.
The downside is that this is too short of a book. It's an enjoyable, interesting read that could have gone on for many pages. Krulos touches on the subjects briefly, including bits on Nostradamus and other prophets. He also adds former end of the world predictions that, obviously, failed.
On a personal note: Krulos opens the book with a tale of him sitting on a bluff in his home town of Milwaukee on Sept. 26-27, 2015, while watching the total lunar eclipse of the "blood moon." Some predictors, including religious fellow Kenneth Hagee, said that was the sign of the end of the world. About 50 miles to the south on the same night, I spent my second date with my sweetie in a field near Waukegan, Ill., watching for the same eclipse. Clouds blocked our view, but the world didn't end and I'm still with her after 2.5 years now, too.
May 28, 2019
Tea Krulos takes another look at eccentric Americans in 'Apocalypse Any Day Now.' As usual, he lets his oddball subjects speak for themselves without rendering overt comment on their beliefs. Krulos’ engagement with this world helps his subjects open up to him and also makes for a more entertaining book than a more conventional, arms-length journalistic exercise. 'Apocalypse Any Day Now' is a fun and funny, but never mocking, dive into the bizarre world of doomsday preppers.
Read my full review at Pop Mythology.
I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher.
Matt Hlinak
Author of DoG
Read my full review at Pop Mythology.
I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher.
Matt Hlinak
Author of DoG
March 27, 2024
Living on the Western Slope of Colorado, I frequently encounter people with the "persona" of "leave me alone and let me do my thing". These range from the homeless communal hippy to the well-armed militia, both looking for a place where they can live their lifestyle without having to deal with the laws and regulations of the "outside government". Tea Krulos visited places like Camp Lazars in Ohio, Zombie Camp in Missouri, National Survielist and Prepper Expo in Virginia, Raven Ridge Silo in Kansas, Bug-Out Planing in Wisconson, and Wasteland Weekend in the Mojave Desert examing the common thread among these widely diverse groups. He found the highly educated, the devout believers of Christianity and Budda, the seemingly down and out, and the "lost", as well as those who live on another planet.
Many of these millions desire to know the prophecies of the bible and the desire to be the first in line while following their current earthly messiah, while others are content to live in their bunkers awaiting the atomic explosion which is the death of those not prepared to survive and then they can re-populate the cleansed earth. It is not unusual to be given a book or a single sheet that invites me to examine their reasoning, with their view of scriptures or teachings of a well-educated college professor of science directing me to get in line in preparation for the end, mainly to survive while proudly telling me that they will not share the provisions. One must save himself and they just happen to have access to a vast number of products to assist you in this journey.
A very interesting read.
Many of these millions desire to know the prophecies of the bible and the desire to be the first in line while following their current earthly messiah, while others are content to live in their bunkers awaiting the atomic explosion which is the death of those not prepared to survive and then they can re-populate the cleansed earth. It is not unusual to be given a book or a single sheet that invites me to examine their reasoning, with their view of scriptures or teachings of a well-educated college professor of science directing me to get in line in preparation for the end, mainly to survive while proudly telling me that they will not share the provisions. One must save himself and they just happen to have access to a vast number of products to assist you in this journey.
A very interesting read.
April 12, 2020
Surprisingly optimistic and not as frightening as one would think.
Like so many subjects that are examined in depth it's hard to keep one's generalizations and prejudices in tack. One take away I have is how the interviewed preppers imagine themselves to be protectors of their communities. I always figured they'd be selfish and hoarding for themselves alone, (which I'm sure there are people like that). But that aspect was heartening.
Some chapters felt unresolved and incomplete, like it was rushed to publish.
This book was only available in audio form from my library, published pretty recently in light of the current covid-19 outbreak. Ohh , and doesn't that make the preppers look like geniuses!!
Like so many subjects that are examined in depth it's hard to keep one's generalizations and prejudices in tack. One take away I have is how the interviewed preppers imagine themselves to be protectors of their communities. I always figured they'd be selfish and hoarding for themselves alone, (which I'm sure there are people like that). But that aspect was heartening.
Some chapters felt unresolved and incomplete, like it was rushed to publish.
This book was only available in audio form from my library, published pretty recently in light of the current covid-19 outbreak. Ohh , and doesn't that make the preppers look like geniuses!!
May 18, 2019
This audiobook is about hanging out with preppers. Well, sort of. Tea goes around talking about AI, zombie parties, apocalypse parties, and people who predict the end of the world. He doesn't really spend much time talking about actually prepping or homesteading. A bit disappointing, and some of the people are obvious nutjobs. The global warming bit had me rolling my eyes. The narrator, Eric Michael Summerer, is a great narrator.
April 11, 2019
First off, why did I buy this book: I’m not a prepper and it’s unlikely that I’d adopt that lifestyle. That said, I’m not quick to dismiss those choices. I don’t think society will collapse in my lifetime, but I never thought Obama would be elected and I sure as hell never thought Trump would be elected, so that’s what I know. My interest is primarily academic. Preppers make u a fascinating subculture. Or rather, subcultures. As Krulos demonstrates throughout this book there are many different ways to approach end times, just as there are many different ways for times to end. And indeed the title and subtitle of this book are misleading. There’s a fascinating chapter about tunneling peppers (actually they converted a nuclear missile silo), but this isn’t really about about the diggers. It’s a look at the life of, and relationships among, people who believe society lives on that existential edge. And with that believe in tow, they conduct their affairs accordingly.
With the title disclaimer disclaimed, I was happy the title turned out to be miss-leading. This book is actually kinda fun. There is a terrifying chapter about tunneling doomsday prepares, (I’ll let you judge why it’s terrifying y’own self) but the book really runs the gamut - a veritable pupu platter of people on the precipice of massive, irrevocable life change. In some cases, like the Mars One colony candidates, that life-altering change is personal. Blasting off to Mars on a one-way trip is not the End of the World as WE know it, but it is the end of the world as THEY know it. Side note: I think Krulos ended with the Mars One chapter because it tells of ultimate hope, and this is not a book intended to frighten or bum out readers - again, despite what the title and cover design might imply.
Krulos talked to myriad folks, each of whom draw hugely different conclusions about the trajectory of world events than I do, but none of them sound stupid. This is to Krulos' credit. He writes with respect for the motives and ideas of everyone in this book. And preppers are drawing fair conclusions, given the information coming out of cable news. Fox News might actually be Satan itself, but they’re all evil. Fox. CNN. MSNBC. They have no ideology, they have target demographics, which they endeavor to frighten each-and-every-second of the day. Frightened and/or outraged (outrage is MSNBC’s angle) people crave more information - eg cable news. More info means more eyeballs means more ad revenue. It’s every bit that simple and that cynical. If Fox news could earn a billion dollars a day slinging flower-power and Kumbaya to the masses, they would do it in less than a heartbeat. But none of them are singing Kumbaya, they’re scaring the hell out of people. This book is Krulos' investigation of the resulting impact.
The bullet posts:
• The title is misleading, because there’s really only 1 chapter about the tunneling preppers, but that’s more than okay. All the chapters in this book feature compelling figures and stories.
• If you’re looking for information about how to prepare for end times, this book won’t help much. Krulos talks about some of the skills and material plans made by the subjects of this book, but there’s no instruction section.
• I really enjoyed this book. A lot of this story was new to me. Krulos is a good writer.
With the title disclaimer disclaimed, I was happy the title turned out to be miss-leading. This book is actually kinda fun. There is a terrifying chapter about tunneling doomsday prepares, (I’ll let you judge why it’s terrifying y’own self) but the book really runs the gamut - a veritable pupu platter of people on the precipice of massive, irrevocable life change. In some cases, like the Mars One colony candidates, that life-altering change is personal. Blasting off to Mars on a one-way trip is not the End of the World as WE know it, but it is the end of the world as THEY know it. Side note: I think Krulos ended with the Mars One chapter because it tells of ultimate hope, and this is not a book intended to frighten or bum out readers - again, despite what the title and cover design might imply.
Krulos talked to myriad folks, each of whom draw hugely different conclusions about the trajectory of world events than I do, but none of them sound stupid. This is to Krulos' credit. He writes with respect for the motives and ideas of everyone in this book. And preppers are drawing fair conclusions, given the information coming out of cable news. Fox News might actually be Satan itself, but they’re all evil. Fox. CNN. MSNBC. They have no ideology, they have target demographics, which they endeavor to frighten each-and-every-second of the day. Frightened and/or outraged (outrage is MSNBC’s angle) people crave more information - eg cable news. More info means more eyeballs means more ad revenue. It’s every bit that simple and that cynical. If Fox news could earn a billion dollars a day slinging flower-power and Kumbaya to the masses, they would do it in less than a heartbeat. But none of them are singing Kumbaya, they’re scaring the hell out of people. This book is Krulos' investigation of the resulting impact.
The bullet posts:
• The title is misleading, because there’s really only 1 chapter about the tunneling preppers, but that’s more than okay. All the chapters in this book feature compelling figures and stories.
• If you’re looking for information about how to prepare for end times, this book won’t help much. Krulos talks about some of the skills and material plans made by the subjects of this book, but there’s no instruction section.
• I really enjoyed this book. A lot of this story was new to me. Krulos is a good writer.
July 11, 2019
Tea Krulos's book explores prepper culture, and when I first picked up this title I was expecting a book looking only at the prepper culture - the people (often portrayed as very conservative, maybe paranoid, looking at conspiracies online) who collect food, guns, and military surplus to survive the end of the world. And while Tea Krulos does explore some of this culture, interviewing preppers in Wisconsin and New York, and looking at that culture, I was pleasantly surprised that there was so much more to this book. Tea not only explores the prepper culture, but also some of the different cultures (sub-cultures) that have cropped up with similar goals (preparing for the end of the world) but going about it in different ways. There were the members of Zombie Squad, an international group of preppers that use the hypothetical zombie apocalypse as a springboard not only for prepping, but for outreach, volunteering, and blood drives. There are the homesteaders who try to recreate and relearn the skills our ancestors had to prepare food, live off the land, and lead a simpler life. Tea interviews and immerses himself in these different groups, giving us an inside look into prepping, and maybe giving the reader a pause to think - am I ready? Maybe not to survive the end of the world, but if a serious weather event or natural disaster happened, could you survive for 3 days without access to food, electricity, and all the modern comforts we enjoy?
A good book that gets into the prepper sub-culture, exploring this world honestly and with a bit of entertainment. (The time Tea spends at the doomsday-themed Wasteland event, based primarily on the Mad Max movies was quite interesting.) Tea provides a glimpse at this world dispassionately, without judgement, providing the reader an intimate look at a group of people that are often seen as extreme.
A good book that gets into the prepper sub-culture, exploring this world honestly and with a bit of entertainment. (The time Tea spends at the doomsday-themed Wasteland event, based primarily on the Mad Max movies was quite interesting.) Tea provides a glimpse at this world dispassionately, without judgement, providing the reader an intimate look at a group of people that are often seen as extreme.
April 15, 2020
Audio. I was really happy with the book, but you shouldn't go into it expecting a coherent metanarrative. It's more like one guy's apocalypse themed bucket list travelogue. As that thing, it's mostly a success. I like that it took an inquisitive approach, but called bs where needed. You can probably find similar and better stories of the same places elsewhere, but this is a neat package of everything from religious nuts to missile silo luxury shelters to fan conventions to prepper charities.
The title is somewhat misleading though - I would say half or maybe two thirds of the book is devoted to preppers in the narrower sense of the term.
I guess I'll now head out to get some booze for when the bartering starts up.
The title is somewhat misleading though - I would say half or maybe two thirds of the book is devoted to preppers in the narrower sense of the term.
I guess I'll now head out to get some booze for when the bartering starts up.
March 21, 2022
A fun book that is fair to the participants. It doesn't condescend and doesn't judge...well at least not much and that was a welcome surprise. It goes in to all the normal things about the subject and then goes off on tangents that make the book worse. It was like he was trying to make a page count (though I listened to this on Audio book so i cant be sure).
The author spends quite a bit of time on off topic rabbit holes like climate change (while cataclysmic this is not the subject of the book the people who prepare for it are) and a Fallout/Mad Max convention in the California that the author doesn't seem to realize is what it is (at least the Fallout part).
recommend as a light treatment on the topic. Not great but wasn't bad.
The author spends quite a bit of time on off topic rabbit holes like climate change (while cataclysmic this is not the subject of the book the people who prepare for it are) and a Fallout/Mad Max convention in the California that the author doesn't seem to realize is what it is (at least the Fallout part).
recommend as a light treatment on the topic. Not great but wasn't bad.
May 29, 2020
In Apocalypse Any Day Now, Krulos takes us to meet "preppers" of all types: homesteaders who are building self-sufficient communities, families with planned routes to their prepared shelter, a nationwide group that learns disaster survival from zombie movies, and the builder of a luxy apartment complex for the apocalypse, just to name a few. The range of personalities, situations, and experiences explored in the book gives a much more genuine look into "prepping" in the US. While there is a chapter or two which doesn't quite fit in (the Mars One chapter), it is still a really good and entertaining read.
April 26, 2019
When I selected this book I figured it would be like a segment from the radio show Coast to Coast. I found it was very interesting and the author was not judgmental. For many years we have stored food and water. We have 72 hour kits and a generator. The one prepper thing we do that was not address in the book is we try to keep the gas tank on our cars at least half full.
June 12, 2021
I had high hopes for this one but author, Tea Krulos, had a hard time staying focused on post apocalyptic culture and seemed much more preoccupied with bashing Republicans and President Trump. This weakened the whole experience and the writing wasn’t even strong to begin with. Not everything needs to be about politics. Stick to the facts Krulos
April 9, 2019
The End of Civilization can be fun.
Who knew that societal collapse would be so damn entertaining? Krulos has taken us on a wild trip through the Apocalypse and all of its minions. Total global annihilation has never been more entertaining.
Who knew that societal collapse would be so damn entertaining? Krulos has taken us on a wild trip through the Apocalypse and all of its minions. Total global annihilation has never been more entertaining.
September 27, 2019
Super interesting. At first, I was like "this is just good emergency preparedness". And then they start talking about the guns. Oof.
An interesting read that I'd recommend to anyone who likes thinking about The End of the World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI). 4 stars.
An interesting read that I'd recommend to anyone who likes thinking about The End of the World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI). 4 stars.
December 30, 2019
Didn't finish it (got through about 1/3). Really not a great author. I don't care about you going on camping trips and drinking beer around the fire and swimming in a river. Highlights certain members of the "prepper" community and how they collect supplies and make plans with each other.
February 2, 2022
I miss the show Doomsday Preppers. This is a good overview of some of the up to date prepper goings on. But it falls short. There’s not just one type of “prepper.” Still it was an interesting listen.
April 8, 2019
Less exploration of Doomsday Preppers, more , this guy went a explored various different things that had to do with the idea of doomsday.
April 15, 2020
Interesting read with a lot of useful info.
December 21, 2020
It's a lot of lists and low effort recounting. He even extensively details the plot of a movie we've all seen for some reason.
January 24, 2022
I really dig this authors alternative journalistic style immersing himself with oddballs using humor and compassion without judgement.
November 14, 2023
Lost interest towards the end but overall, a good read
January 12, 2024
The beginning was interesting in outlining some famous doomsday preachers but the rest of the book felt dated and meh. Wouldn’t really recommend.
June 26, 2022
How do you get paranoid, secretive individuals to talk about their crazy plans for the coming apocalypse ? I don’t know, but Tea Krulos does and he then wrote this fascinating book about the prepper subculture.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews