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. Join Bobby Akart’s mailing list to learn about upcoming releases, deals, contests, and appearances. Follow this link to: BobbyAkart.com Or, visit his dedicated feature page on Amazon at Amazon.com/BobbyAkart 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 language, 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
