"Alas, Babylon." Those fateful words heralded the end. When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly. But for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness.
Additional Information
Alas, Babylon
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10.0 | |
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10.0 (1) |
Added by Mamma B
April 16, 2010 
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Book Info
| Author | Pat Frank |
| Illustrator | - No Illustrator |
| Publisher | Harper Perennial, 1959 |
| Genres | Action / Adventure / Sports • Emotions / Feelings • Family & Friends • Fantasy / Make Believe • Hobbies / Science / School • Lessons / Behavior • Mystery / Suspense |
| Age Range | 6th through 9th • High School |
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Mamma Bookworm review
A Survival Story
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank is a recommended school reading book that I was surprised that I had never heard of before. I happened to stumble across it while browsing the summer reading section at Books A Million in Orlando. And that may be part of the reason I hadn't heard of it - the book takes place in a small town in Central Florida. The book is set in 1959 (the same year it was written) and the US public is aware of the threat of nuclear war and afraid, but has no idea exactly how close it actually is. The main character, Randy Bragg, gets very short advanced notice from his brother in the military that a nuclear attack is imminent. Mark, Randy's brother, sends his wife and two children to live with Randy in the hopes that his small town will be safer than the military base they are currently living in. The very next day the attack happens and the small community is suddenly cut off from the entire world. Of course you expect there to be problems - no power, no water, crime - but over time more complicated problems evolve, like the human need for salt or natural migration of hunting animals. The entire book was fascinating to me to see how this small group of people manage to cover most of their basic needs. They are not entirely thrown back to the days of the pioneer since they happen to live in the old homes of their grandfathers that are equipped with things like fireplaces and old 'antique' equipment that comes in handy, but every member of their small group (from the old man to the little girl) have to use their individual talents and know-how in order to find solutions to things we take for granted every day. Most of the book isn't really thrilling (although there are parts) but there is excitement in the fact that they don't discover the answers as easily as they expect. As far as normal parental concerns - even though this book deals with the death of basically most of the planet, there is very little violence. There is no swearing or sex, but there is drinking and making moonshine. I would think that any child over the age of 10 who can understand the concept of war would be fascinated with this book. In a way it is very much like any book dealing with pioneers or explorers from years before. I would highly recommend this book to any teen who has shown interest in a period of history before electricity was commonplace. |
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User reviews
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A Must for Florida Teens
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
A staple for Florida kids, but a fantastic good clean adventure story for teens from anywhere. Definitely covers some fairly serious ground, so it's geared towards older teens, but nothing really shocking. The characters are all very believable and grow to identify with them and care about their plight. A good adventure story with positive figures that won't bore your teen.
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