Nuclear Winter First Strike Read online

  Nuclear Winter I

  First Strike

  Bobby Akart

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading FIRST STRIKE, book one in the Nuclear Winter Series by Author Bobby Akart.

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  PRAISE FOR AUTHOR BOBBY AKART

  “Bobby Akart is the master of nail biting, edge of your seat fiction based on fact.”

  ~ Amazon Review of New Madrid Earthquake

  “Author Bobby Akart has the acumen to be able to weave fact-based fiction into a very believable story full of intrigue, suspense, and action.”

  ~ Amazon Review of Odessa Rising

  “He takes you on a ride that becomes a roller-coaster.”

  ~ Amazon Review of Odessa Reborn

  “As with any of the best novels, this book really captures your attention and makes it hard to put down at the end of the day.”

  ~ Early review of Nuclear Winter First Strike

  “There are no accolades I can give Bobby Akart that haven’t been said numerous times. His fact-based, heavily researched stories are the stuff of nightmares. He is truly one of the greatest authors I have ever read.”

  ~ Amazon Review of Virus Hunters 2

  “Another phenomenal story from THE master story teller of our time.”

  ~ Amazon Review of Asteroid Destruction

  “Only Akart can weave a story that begins so calm, so normal and before you know it, you are at the end of the book with your pulse pounding in your chest and your mind screaming for more.”

  ~ Amazon Review of Geostorm The Shift

  Nuclear Winter I

  First Strike

  by

  Bobby Akart

  Other Works by Amazon Charts Top 25 Author Bobby Akart

  Nuclear Winter

  First Strike

  Armageddon

  Whiteout

  Desolation

  New Madrid (a standalone, disaster thriller)

  Odessa (a Gunner Fox trilogy)

  Odessa Reborn

  Odessa Rising

  Odessa Strikes

  The Virus Hunters

  Virus Hunters I

  Virus Hunters II

  Virus Hunters III

  The Geostorm Series

  The Shift

  The Pulse

  The Collapse

  The Flood

  The Tempest

  The Pioneers

  The Asteroid Series (A Gunner Fox trilogy)

  Discovery

  Diversion

  Destruction

  The Doomsday Series

  Apocalypse

  Haven

  Anarchy

  Minutemen

  Civil War

  The Yellowstone Series

  Hellfire

  Inferno

  Fallout

  Survival

  The Lone Star Series

  Axis of Evil

  Beyond Borders

  Lines in the Sand

  Texas Strong

  Fifth Column

  Suicide Six

  The Pandemic Series

  Beginnings

  The Innocents

  Level 6

  Quietus

  The Blackout Series

  36 Hours

  Zero Hour

  Turning Point

  Shiloh Ranch

  Hornet’s Nest

  Devil’s Homecoming

  The Boston Brahmin Series

  The Loyal Nine

  Cyber Attack

  Martial Law

  False Flag

  The Mechanics

  Choose Freedom

  Patriot’s Farewell (standalone novel)

  Black Friday (standalone novel)

  Seeds of Liberty (Companion Guide)

  The Prepping for Tomorrow Series

  Cyber Warfare

  EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse

  Economic Collapse

  Copyright Information

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  © 2021 Crown Publishers Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including, but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the express written permission of Crown Publishers Inc.

  Acknowledgments

  Creating a novel that is both informative and entertaining requires a tremendous team effort. Writing is the easy part.

  For their efforts in making the Nuclear Winter series a reality, I would like to thank Hristo Argirov Kovatliev for his incredible artistic talents in creating my cover art. He and Dani collaborate (and conspire) to create the most incredible cover art in the publishing business. A huge hug of appreciation goes out to Pauline Nolet, the Professor, for her editorial prowess and patience in correcting this writer’s same tics after fifty-plus novels. Thank you, Drew Avera, a United States Navy veteran, who has brought his talented formatting skills from a writer’s perspective to create multiple formats for reading my novels. Welcome back Kevin Pierce, the beloved voice of the apocalypse, who will bring my words to life in audio format.

  Now, for the serious stuff. Accurately portraying the aftermath of nuclear war required countless hours of never-ending research and interviews of some of the brightest minds in the world of planetary science.

  Once again, as I immersed myself in the science and history, source material and research flooded my inbox from around the globe. Without the assistance of many individuals and organizations, this story could not be told. Please allow me a moment to acknowledge a few of those individuals whom, without their tireless efforts and patience, the Nuclear Winter series could not have been written.

  Many thanks to the preeminent researchers and engineers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. Between responses to my inquiries and the volumes of scientific publications provided, I was able to grasp the catastrophic effect a regional nuclear war would have upon the Earth and its atmosphere. They impressed upon me the danger of inundating our air with the results of these massive nuclear detonations. It would result in a climatic event akin to the eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano.

  A shout-out must go to Brian Toon, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Colorado – Boulder. He has been a tireless advocate warning all who’ll listen of the consequences of nuclear winter. This quote had a profound effect on me and led to the writing of the Nuclear Winter series—It could potentially end global civilization as we know it. In other words, TEOTWAWKI.

  At Rutgers University, Distinguished Professor and acclaimed climatologist, Alan Robock, has been studying the potential threat of nuclear winter with a particular focus on the human impact. The incredibly fast cooling of the planet would trigger global famine and mass starvation. His models of fires and firestorms in the aftermath of a nuclear war provided me detailed estimates of the extent of wildfires as well as the timeframes associated with the smoke and soot lofted into the atmosphere.

  Now, to the special friends and acquaintances who helped make my characters realistic. Admittedly, my exposure to teenagers is non-existent. Yet, from time-to-time, I have teen characters who speak a different langu
age, sort of. In order to add a sense of realism to their dialogue, I call upon a number of resources to enlighten me on their own unique vocabulary.

  Thank you to Pam and Tim Johnson who reached out to their teenage grandson, Simon Andrews. He’s credited with a number of phrases in the Nuclear Winter series including—Yeet! Dear reader, this interesting term will be explained within First Strike, book one.

  Thank you to Jessica Devenny, referred to me via Pam Johnson and her bestie, Betty. Jessica’s sons, Jacob and Parker, also helped to fill my teenspeak dictionary.

  Also, Dani’s followers on Instagram were up to the task. Instagram is one of the few social media networks where the vast majority of your interactions are positive compared to Facebook and the downright nasty Twitter platform. When called upon, hundreds of terms and phrases were offered. Thanks to you all!

  The cigar selections in Nuclear Winter First Strike were suggested by my friend Brad Levy. Brad has read all of my novels, twice, in most cases. He always looks forward to his day on the lanai, enjoying a fine cigar and a good book. Thank you, my friend!

  Finally, as always, a special thank you to my team of loyal friends who’ve always supported my work and provided me valuable insight from a reader’s perspective—Denise Keef, Joe Carey, Shirley Nicholson, Bennita Barnett, Karl Hughey, and Brian Alderman.

  For the Nuclear Winter series, several avid readers volunteered to make my writing more better: Martin McDonell, Cody McDonell, Leslie Bryant, Tim Coppess, Caryl Lynne Honea, Mike Neubecker, Pete Steffens, and Kelly Trone.

  Thanks, y’all, and Choose Freedom!

  About the Author, Bobby Akart

  Author Bobby Akart has been ranked by Amazon as #25 on the Amazon Charts list of most popular, bestselling authors. He has achieved recognition as the #1 bestselling Horror Author, #1 bestselling Science Fiction Author, #5 bestselling Action & Adventure Author, #7 bestselling Historical Fiction Author and #10 on Amazon’s bestselling Thriller Author list.

  Mr. Akart has delivered up-all-night thrillers to readers in 245 countries and territories worldwide. He has sold over one million books in all formats, which includes over forty international bestsellers, in nearly fifty fiction and nonfiction genres.

  His novel Yellowstone: Hellfire reached the Top 25 on the Amazon bestsellers list and earned him multiple Kindle All-Star awards for most pages read in a month and most pages read as an author. The Yellowstone series vaulted him to the #25 bestselling author on Amazon Charts, and the #1 bestselling science fiction author.

  Since its release in November 2020, his standalone novel, New Madrid Earthquake, has been ranked #1 on Amazon Charts in multiple countries as a natural disaster thriller.

  Mr. Akart is a graduate of the University of Tennessee after pursuing a dual major in economics and political science. He went on to obtain his master’s degree in business administration and his doctorate degree in law at Tennessee.

  Mr. Akart has provided his readers a diverse range of topics that are both informative and entertaining. His attention to detail and impeccable research has allowed him to capture the imagination of his readers through his fictional works and bring them valuable knowledge through his nonfiction books.

  SIGN UP for Bobby Akart’s mailing list to learn of special offers, view bonus content, and be the first to receive news about new releases.

  Visit www.BobbyAkart.com for details.

  Dedications

  With the love and support of my wife, Dani, together with the unconditional love of Bullie and Boom, the princesses of the palace, I’m able to tell you these stories. It would be impossible for me to write without them in my heart.

  Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted. I would like to thank the men and women, past and present, of the United States Armed Forces for willingly making sacrifices each day to provide us that freedom and security. Also, a not of thanks to their families who endure countless sleepless nights as their loved ones are deployed around he world.

  They are the sheepdogs who live to protect the flock. They bravely and unselfishly confront the wolves who threaten our country, our freedoms, and their brothers in arms from those who would bring destruction to our door.

  Choose Freedom!

  Contents

  Author’s Introduction

  Real-World News Excerpts

  Nuclear Winter I

  Prologue

  Part I

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Part II

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Part III

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Part IV

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Part V

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Part VI

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Part VII

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  THANK YOU FOR READING NUCLEAR WINTER: FIRST STRIKE!

  What’s coming next from Bobby Akart?

  Other Works by Amazon Charts Top 25 Author Bobby Akart

  Author’s Introduction

  February, 2021

  Since scientific discoveries in the late 1930s made nuclear weapons a possibility, the world began to realize they posed an enormous threat to humanity. In 1942, with the secretive research effort in the U.S. known as the Manhattan Project, a race toward nuclear supremacy began. Since their very first use in World War II, different leaders and organizations have been trying to prevent proliferation to additional countries. Despite their efforts, more nation-states than ever before have obtained nuclear weapons.

  Following pioneering research from scientists in the early 1980s, the world was introduced to the concept of nuclear winter. Researchers had known that a large nuclear war could cause severe global environmental effects, including dramatic cooling of surface temperatures, declines in precipitation, and increased ultraviolet radiation.

  The term nuclear winter was coined specifically to refer to atmospheric cooling that resulted in winter-like temperatures occurring year-round. Regardless of whether extreme cold temperatures were reached, there would be severe consequences for humanity. But how severe would those consequences be? And what should the world be doing about it?

  To the first question, the short answer is nobody knows with absolute certainty. The total human impacts of nuclear winter are both uncertain and under-studied. The aftereffects of the twin atomic bombs dropped on Japan to end World War II were not analyzed in depth. More research on the impacts would be very helpful, but treaties have limited nuclear weapons testing. Therefore research, other than theoretical conclusions, has been limited.

  As to the question of what the world should be doing about it, all nations agree non-proliferation is a start. However, there are still more than sufficient nuclear weapons capable of being launched to bring the world to the brink of Armageddon.

  Today, nuclear winter is not a hot topic among the world’
s leaders. When the Cold War ended, so did attention to the catastrophic threat of nuclear winter. That started to change in 2007 with a new line of nuclear winter research that used advanced climate models developed for the study of global warming.

  Relative to the 1980s research, the new research found that the smoke from nuclear firestorms would travel higher into the atmosphere causing nuclear winter to last longer than previously thought. This research also found dangerous effects from smaller nuclear exchanges, such as an India-Pakistan nuclear war detonating only one hundred total nuclear warheads.