Alas, Babylon

The words “Alas, Babylon” become a code of sorts between the Bragg brothers to signify something is not right, and so when Randy Bragg gets those ominous words in a telegram from his brother Mark, who works in the military, he knows that some impending disaster is likely upon society. After a nuclear bomb devastates the United States (which Randy and others refer to as “The Day”) with radiation and other calamities, citizens are left to fend for themselves and pick up the pieces.I think the biggest problem with this book is simply how it is presented. What could have been an exciting and compelling “doomsday” post-apocalyptic story is diminished and falls flat and was somewhat disappointing. This is because what could have been a harrowing story of survival story seems to focus on many mundane and trivial elements and details.Certainly, the chaos and psychological breakdown of society and citizens as they scramble to survive amid devastating circumstances is present to some degree, but quite a bit detracts from this and lessens its impact. For one, there was way too much focus on “small town” rumor and gossip from the characters. Also, the characters themselves felt very wooden and artificial, and this plays out in their interactions and dialogue. Some of the scenes and interactions were downright cartoonish, awkward, and cringeworthy. These moments seem to lessen the seriousness and impact of the story, giving it more of a campy kind of feel.Moreover, it felt like many of the elements of survival were glossed over in sort of a superficial fashion as well as focusing on trivial matters.At the end of the day, while this book deserves a look as a Cold War doomsday sort of novel, I think a reader could invest in a more worthy read with similar themes. “The Day of the Triffids”, “The Body Snatchers” and “The Road” all have similar style themes and handle it far more effectively in my opinion.

The book is no heavy hitter like "The Road," but there is a serious tone to it and some unexpected twists. I was pleasantly surprised that it was as good and readable as it was. I read it a long time ago and had forgotten most of it, but it flowed along quite nicely and did not seem dated at all. The protagonist undergoes quite the transformation as he becomes a leader and the other characters, especially the women, are not marginalized or caricatures. They are leaders in their own right.

I’ve read this book numerous times. Each time I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Even as I read it this time there are lessons for all of us.

I've been on this whole science fiction/post apocalyptic kick lately and Alas, Babylon was the second such book I tried because I'd read about it in the after word of another book. Isn't that how you find new books?Another book suggested was Neville Shute's On the Beach, which I read about 8 or 9 years ago when the guy at the post office suggested it. Alas, Babylon and On the Beach both deal with the world after a nuclear strike, except in Neville Shute's world, based in Australia, all human life was annihilated and Australians would soon be dead of radiation poisoning, saved on by their lower position on the globe. In Pat Frank's post nuclear holocaust world, specifically America and Fort Repose in Florida, many people died from the nuclear blasts and more of radiation poisoning, but many survived in a world without technology, electricity, and most of what modern people consider necessary: salt, medicine, antibiotics, doctors, etc.At the beginning of Frank's novel, Randall Rowzee Bragg is on the super highway to dissipation. Randy begins with a bit of liquor in his coffee and runs around with women, many of which come from Pistolville, the other side of the nonexistent tracks in Fort Repose. His family name is old and distinguished, but Randy spends more time in the red at the bank than in the black. He's friendly and well liked, but not what one would consider a pillar of the community unless the pillar is leaning drunkenly to the side and about to topple over.Randy gets a telegram from his brother, Colonel Mark Bragg, to meet him at a nearby Air Force base as Mark is on his way back from Puerto Rico and will touch down there to refuel. He is sending his wife and two children to stay with Randy in Fort Repose, signing his message, "Alas, Babylon," so Randy will know it's serious.Randy goes, meets his brother, gets the bad news that there will be war with Russia, nuclear war, gets a check for five thousand dollars, and drives back to Fort Repose to the bank where he has some trouble cashing the check, but walks away with the cash and a remark to the manager of the bank that cash will be the only thing that matters in a very short time. Randy gets most of the supplies on his list and drives the next morning to get his sister-in-law, Helen, and Ben Franklin and Peyton, his nephew and niece, all of whom were reluctant to leave their father in Omaha at the Strategic Air Command (SAC) base.Nuclear war comes with a double blinding dawn and soon the cessation of electricity amid panic and a world turned upside down where Randy becomes the strongest pillar of the community, coming alive with deadly purpose to preserve his family and his town.Alas, Babylon was published in 1959 at the height of fear of pending nuclear war with Russia -- and Cuba -- and amid racial segregation and the struggle for civil rights. Randy Bragg lives next door to the Henrys, a black family of modest means who were once the Bragg family's slaves. The Henrys bought the land on which they live and are a major asset in sustaining life and purpose for Randy and the extended family he gathers around him. The Henrys are the difference between life and death.Frank was writing at a time when he had intimate knowledge of politics, nuclear capabilities, and civil rights, having written about them as a war correspondent, reporter, and chief of a couple of newspapers. He knew first hand what life would be like in his family's home in Florida and the struggles he -- and indeed the country -- would face. Alas, Babylon is as true today as it was in 1959.I found the characters engaging and amusing and wonderful in their differences and their similarities and enjoyed the change especially in Randy as he squared his shoulders and took charge. Dated though some of the information seems at a glance, Frank pegged human nature, which seldom changes. People rise and fall in times of adversity and those that surprise us the most are the people we often discount before disaster hits. I highly recommend Frank's view of America after a nuclear holocaust, not only for its insights, but for its humor and its pathos.Since I read the Kindle version, I will warn you that there are many mistakes throughout the text with wrong words, doubled and missing words, and typos with most of the mistakes coming at the end of the book. It will take a few seconds to puzzle out what is supposed to be there, but it shouldn't slow you down too much. That is the reason for 4/5 stars when the book itself deserves a hearty 5-star review. This book stands the test of time.

On the 06th of September whilst reading this I was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. I found it soothing in a way, the world still turns and people carry on. The people in this book as do many in life accept disaster and adapt with minimal panic which I find admirable. I guess this has given me a way forward, to keep going whatever the outcome and whether or not i survive, those around me will find their way forward.

I liked this old classic about nuclear war and its aftermath. Written in 1959 it aged a little, but still is a GREAT read. Below, more of my impressions, with some limited SPOILERS.Randy Bragg lives in the small Central Florida town of Fort Repose. He is not a very successful guy, in fact he is mostly content with eating his inheritance... One day however his much more formidable brother, Colonel Mark Bragg, USAF, sends him a telegraph ending in the words, "Alas, Babylon", a pre-established code between the brothers warning of impending disaster. It appears quickly, that this disaster is a HUGE one...This was one of the very first novels to describe the occurence and the consequences of an all-out nuclear war. The much darker and much more pesimist "On the beach" was published two years earlier and the equally dark and pesimistic "Canticle for Leibowitz" was published in 1960. "Alas Babylone", a much more realistic thing than those other two classics, made quite a splash when it was published. Unlike so many others, the author, whose real name was Harry Hart Frank, knew what he was writing about. He served in military during WWII and watched Korean War as journalist, he studied a lot about the nuclear weapons and it shows in this book.The novel deals less with the nuclear war itself, than with what happens next. There are, quite obviously, survivors, in fact quite a lot of them, but the organised society as we know it initially collapses - the description of this process is quite fascinating. Then, as always, people regroup and re-organise themselves, facing challenges and solving problems. This is an uphill battle, but life always ultimately triumphs over death...Author very wisely states in this book, that it is not the strength of American nuclear arsenal that is the problem - it is the weakness of USA that causes Soviet union to attack, as Moscow believes it can win a nuclear war. It is a very important point showed in this book: in some circumstances a nuclear war CAN be won - it becomes only imposible if BOTH sides have enough primary and back-up fire power to always fully incinerate the enemy, no matter how total the initial surprise and how big the first-strike damage. On another hand, one thing totally absent here is the "nuclear winter", and a mighty good thing too, as it is a total nonsense...This book can be also read as a kinf of post-apocalyptic SF, albeit slightly more optimistic than most of such works. Left-winged people and peaceniks will almost certainly hate this book - which is another point in its favour...I don't want to provide spoilers here so I will keep this review short. This is an important book, still a good read and a thing that makes one think, in fact think a lot. I am glad that I bought and read it. ENJOY!

Another classic, alongside On the Beach by Neville Shute, dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear war. I don't want to spoil the book, but Alas, Babylon ends with a slightly more optimistic note than On the Beach- even if its a downer at the same time.Some reviewer I have seen on various review sites noted the misogyny and racism in the book. What racism and misogyny present in the book is mild and a product of the time the book was written in. It is tempered by the fact that Pat Frank shows a community coming together, where everyone- regardless of age, gender or race has a contribution to make to the community. Please keep that in mind.An excellent read.

As a post apocalyptic novel I rather enjoyed it and learned a great deal about the US military and nuclear technology. I found the characters a little too well organised and upbeat since the rest of the country had just been annihilated and it was somewhat 'hey look at us, we are americans, we'll show you how to behave. We'll show you how to survive, rebuild and organise our resources.' I imagine the reality would be more in line with John Christopher's 'Death of Grass' with a lot more brutality and sheer panic.I did enjoy it and found it very entertaining but the critic in me says there should have been a lot more disarray and impending danger to the story.4 stars as it was still extremely entertaining.

The copy I received had a few notations in it but the story itself is great, highly recommended to anyone wanting to understand the society during the early cold war.