System or operator fault?
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Midnight in Chernobyl
Adam Higginbothan’s *Midnight in Chernobyl* delivers a gripping, meticulously researched account of the world’s worst nuclear disaster. It traces the Soviet Union’s reckless rush to build the Chernobyl plant as a symbol of its technological dominance, exposing the fatal design flaws in the RBMK reactor that were ignored for political expediency. From the fateful test on April 26, 1986, that triggered the explosion to the chaotic initial response, the book follows brave firefighters, trapped engineers, and selfless liquidators who risked their lives to contain the crisis. Higginbothan also unpacks the systemic cover-ups that delayed evacuations, the long-term health toll on survivors, and the disaster’s role in eroding public trust in the Soviet regime. More than a technical report, it’s a haunting narrative of human fallibility, resilience, and the permanent shift in global nuclear safety standards that followed the catastrophe.
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