"Frightening.... With catastrophic climate change bearing down on us, nuclear power has been promoted by some as an obvious solution, but this sobering history urges us to look hard at that bargain for what it is."

Jennifer Szalai - New York Times

"[An] enthralling study of the atomic age and its perils.... A meticulously researched history ... [and] also a timely read."

Lawrence Freedman - Financial Times

"Expertly concise."

Robin McKie - The Observer

"Absolutely stunning. Atoms and Ashes is a formidable achievement. The prolific Serhii Plokhy has written a six-part historical thriller that is essential reading for both our politicians and the ordinary citizen. We have survived the Nuclear Age for three-quarters of a century, but this book calmly reminds us that accidents happen—and will surely happen again. Plokhy’s stories of nuclear accidents are riveting and frightening."

Kai Bird, director of the Leon Levy Center for Biography and coauthor of the Pulitzer Prize–winning

"Gripping.... [An] authoritative history.... Shelve this excellent account next to James Mahaffey’s Atomic Accidents and Kate Brown’s Plutopia. Hair-raising, instructive, and irresistible reading."

Kirkus, starred review

"Stunning.... Plokhy lucidly explains complex scientific and technical procedures and draws sharp profiles of key players in each episode. This well-informed study strikes a note of caution about the nuclear future."

Publishers Weekly

"While considering the possible future of nuclear power, Plokhy ... reviews lessons learned from the most serious nuclear disasters since the end of WWII.... [He] asks whether nuclear energy is a viable path forward, considering all the risks."

Booklist, starred review