In August 1945, at the very end of World War II, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, instantly killing nearly 200,000 people. Roughly 80 years later, no other nuclear weapons have been used during warfare - despite several close calls that could have resulted in a doomsday scenario. In late 2024 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihan Hidankyo, a Japanese collective of atomic survivors working for decades to rid the world of nuclear weapons. The Nobel Committee said: "At this moment in history it is worth reminding ourselves that nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons we have ever seen." In fact those instruments of war could destroy all life on the planet in just one afternoon. The problem we face today is that, owing to ominous events in the Middle East and Europe, the world has never been closer to such a catastrophic outcome. This book could not be more timely.