In this work of creative nonfiction, Jacobsen urges readers to fear a nuclear war even more than they already do, imagining a terrifying scenario that ends in Armageddon. She describes in graphic detail not only the consequences of nuclear detonations but also all the systems that would be employed to track incoming missiles, try to intercept them, help get the U.S. president and other senior officials to safety as they work out how to respond, and authorize a nuclear retaliation.