Tom Vanderbilt’s Survival City (2002) is more thanĀ just a trip back to the post-World War II era when — it’s good reading in preparation for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.
It is the fascinating story of the nation’s preparation for a possible nuclear war, from the Nike Missile system (which was intended to protect major cities from Russian missile attack) to the undergroundĀ intercontinental ballistic missile sites (many of which are being imploded to conform with arms control treaties).
While the threat of Communism and fear or a nuclear missile attack are now largely part of history, the Cold War’s architectural ruins remain – if you know where to look.
An absolutely fascinating read about a little known aspect of (fairly recent) U.S. history.
Read a review here.
More recently, Vanderbilt has written Traffic, which should be required reading for anyone who drives a car regularly.