Chernobyl. History of a Tragedy

On the early morning of 26 April 1986, precisely at 1.23am, a catastrophic explosion rocked the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet Ukraine. As chaos unfolded, governmental attempts to grasp the situation left workers, engineers, firefighters, and local residents to confront the dire consequences on their own. This devastating incident pushed the world to the brink, spreading radioactive contamination across more than half of Europe.

Celebrated historian Serhii Plokhy, in his book "Chernobyl," utilizes newly accessible archives to vividly recount these events in all their dramatic intensity. Through a detailed narrative, he introduces readers to the heroes, culprits, and those caught in the disaster's grip, offering the first comprehensive disclosure of this gripping Cold War episode. Described by Daniel Beer of the Guardian as an engaging chronicle of the 1986 calamity and its aftermath, Plokhy plunges readers into the anxiety-filled environment of the Chernobyl control room on that pivotal night, where human error and design faults created catastrophic consequences.

Critics have praised the book for its haunting and profound storytelling, with Roland Elliott Brown of the Spectator noting its near-Tolstoyan depth and nostalgic tone. Victor Sebestyen from the Sunday Times highlights its extraordinary narrative power as the first extensive history of the world's largest nuclear disaster—a moment that defined the Cold War—and unfolds it in meticulous detail. Julian Evans of the Daily Telegraph compliments its classical tragedy narrative, and Julie McDowall from The Times acknowledges it as the substantial history the disaster justly warrants.