Uncovering Soviet Disasters: Exploring the Limits of Glasnost

Oberg, James E

ISBN 10: 0394560957 / ISBN 13: 9780394560953

Published by Random House, New York, 1988

About this Item

The book has some surface wear.

Seller Inventory # 081625

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Uncovering Soviet Disasters: Exploring the Limits of Glasnost
• Publisher: Random House, New York
• Publication Date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0394560957
• ISBN 13: 9780394560953
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 2nd Printing
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Russian History

About this title

Synopsis

This investigation into modern disasters in the Soviet Union, including the deaths of cosmonauts, industrial accidents, and major health crises, reveals why they were covered up and how they became known to the West

Reviews

Among the Soviet disasters covered here are munitions-plant explosions, subway fires, anthrax contamination and nuclear-reactor meltdowns. The survey is wide-ranging; material on civilian airline crashes, for instance, makes it clear that air-safety standards in Russia are low. Oberg (Red Star in Orbit) explores the Soviet government's deep-rooted insistence on secrecy, showing that in the matter of technological safety precautions crucial information has been withheld from the West: he demonstrates that certain accidents that have occurred in the Soviet Union have been needlessly repeated in the West because preventive measures have not been shared. Oberg is cautiously hopeful about the effect of glasnost on the exchange of technological information: "Once (and if) this trend matures, we can settle down to the serious business of learning from each other's mistakes as well as from our own." Photos. Author tour.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Oberg, an aerospace engineer and observer of USSR space and military activities, has written an eye-opening expose of about 250 Soviet disasters. Treated in surprising detail, given the secrecy of Russian governments, they include events on land (hotel fires, nuclear accidents), in the air (civilian and military crashes), at sea (ship rammings, nuclear sub disasters), and in outer space. The usual Soviet response has been silence and denial, even at the expense of lives. Oberg's many sources included Soviet emigres, slips of Soviet tongues and pens, and CIA reports. Without gloating, Oberg gives us a glimpse of the limits of Soviet technology. Highly recommended. Daniel LaRossa, Connetquot P.L., Bohemia, N.Y.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.