From the Bookshelf of Deep State Radio Book Group…

The 2020 Commission Report On The North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against The United States: A Specu...

Jeffrey Lewis

Start date: October 1, 2018

Finish date: November 30, 2018

Discussion: Book of the Month

Why we're reading this: Recommended by Kori Schake
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Book of the Month

The Fifth Risk - Michael Lewis
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last updated May 16, 2020 11:16AM

What Members Thought

Jan 03, 2019 Adam rated it it was amazing

Shelves: political-science, military-fiction

This book is terrifying, tragic, and enlightening in equal measures. A well-regarded scholar on nuclear weapons at the Middlebury Institute, Jeffrey Lewis brings an unmatched level of expertise to this astonishing work of speculative fiction. Set in the year 2023, the 2020 Commission Report details the lead-up to and aftermath of nuclear attacks from North Korea on first Japan and South Korea, and later the United States.

The most terrifying aspect of this book has to be the degree to which Lewis ...more

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Nov 26, 2018 Craig rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jeffrey Lewis’s “The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States: A Speculative Novel” is hard to review living in Trump World. On one hand, it seems inconceivable that the vain idiot man-child Lewis presents in his book is any kind of realistic attempt to write the president of the United States. It doesn’t seem possible that any human being could be as selfish and ignorant as Lewis writes him. Then you put the book down, turn on the news for a few minut Jeffrey Lewis’s “The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States: A Speculative Novel” is hard to review living in Trump World. On one hand, it seems inconceivable that the vain idiot man-child Lewis presents in his book is any kind of realistic attempt to write the president of the United States. It doesn’t seem possible that any human being could be as selfish and ignorant as Lewis writes him. Then you put the book down, turn on the news for a few minutes, scroll your twitter feed, or realize that a lot of his moments and Trump reactions within the book are written based on actions and decisions the president has made in the past and accounts of his behaviors from elsewhere, and you slowly come to the realization that this is all shockingly plausible.

Lewis aptly demonstrates how communications failures and misperceptions can lead to catastrophe even in a world where we’re all making what we see as rational choices to avoid our destruction and the destruction of all those around us. It reminded me (on both the Trump and Kim ends) of reading the political behavior literature on people like Saddam Hussein and the bubbles that arise around leaders and create “different realities” for them to perceive and react to Lewis shows how easily North Korea (and the United States and its allies) can be confused by signals. He also shows the absolute horror of a world in which people are dying in nuclear attacks. Having children and reading this book makes me want to move to a far less strategically important city/area, as the vivid picture of city annihilation and the people lost in it is not easy to take in. He knows well the details of what happen to people at different ranges of a nuclear blast and paint an intense picture through his use of direct character POVs.

For faults, well, mine are mostly personal. I wanted desperately to see what the U.S. military strategy to invade the DPRK was after the attacks occur. He doesn’t show much of that, but I would have LOVED to delve into all those details, follow some troop POVs through Japan/ROK/DPRK after the attacks and on toward the regime fall. But that would have probably lessened the point of the book: a short and sweet explanation of how this type of event still could very easily happen and how horrible it would be. Taking a detour down my desired path would just have detracted from the book’s overall message (and I would absolutely believe that this book was written short enough for busy gov folks in Washington to read over an airplane flight…it should be given to our entire government as a stocking stuffer).

For the ACW slack peeps and podcast listeners, loved the somewhat in-joke of Scott’s “deadbeat dad TELs” and the little nod to the EMP effect having less consequence than 24-hour news channels love to harp on about.

4 Stars, quick read, very important
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Oct 04, 2018 John Mosman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: foreign-affairs, political-science

The book described how the world could "stumble" into a nuclear war with North Korea. The provocation is a civilian airliner straying into NK's territory and escalates from there. Both North Korean, South Korean and US officials blunder their way into war due to wrong assumptions, unclear/lack of communications and deeply held belief and presumptions. The story graphical details the ugly effects of nuclear war. I have to say, the caricature of Trump seems spot on. ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 GrandpaBooks rated it really liked it

Actually 4.5 🌟 Short review: WOW and HOLY $&_+! Slightly longer review: It's rare that I find a novel that I can't put down and finish in just over a day. Dr. Lewis has managed to write a completely believable (imo), Tom Clancy like-novel of a spiral out of control sneak attack on the United States by North Korea by weaving in news reports and modified survivor accounts from Hiroshima. I've never read the 9/11 Commission Report so I'm not sure if such scenarios/scenes/accounts such as the descri ...more

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Aug 17, 2018 Jason Dotson rated it really liked it

I learned of Jeffery Lewis and his research by listening to the Arms Control Wonk podcast. I've always enjoyed his podcast and found this book even more enjoyable.
Nothing written seems implausible to me. ...more

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