Atoms and Ashes

"In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it was hard not to think again about all things nuclear —not just the danger of nuclear weapons but also whether there should be more of a role for nuclear power. In Atoms and Ashes, Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy , author of a brilliant book on Chernobyl , looks at six nuclear disasters around the world—starting with the testing of a hydrogen bomb in Bikini Atoll in 1954 and ending with Fukushima—to see what lessons can be learned from them. As citizens, the pros and cons of nuclear power is something we have a duty to think about, and this book is a gripping way in. For those who have made it this far, it’s worth mentioning that Five Books is based in the UK, which means that soon we’ll be have a weekend of celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee . Elizabeth II’s father, George VI , died in 1952 and she was crowned on June 2nd, 1953, making her the country’s longest-ever serving monarch (though she still has to beat Louis XIV of France for the world title). Many, many books about her have also been published in recent weeks, the one I most liked the look of by journalist Richard Hardman, Queen of Our Times . Finally, it’s worth mentioning an absolutely charming, meditative travel/philosophy book, Looking for Theophrastus: Travels in Search of a Lost Philosopher . Theophrastus attended Plato’s academy and worked closely with Aristotle and has all but been forgotten, but Laura Beatty, a British writer of fiction and literary nonfiction, brings his words to life across the millennia. “Once, when asked who his friends were, Theophrastus answered quickly, How would I know? I am rich.” Part of our best books of 2022 series."