Jonathan Schell is a writer and anti-nuclear activist. He is the author of several books, including The Gift
of Time.
Review
"This is a work of enormous force. There are moments when it seems to hurtle almost out of control, across an
extraordinary range of fact and thought. But in the end, it accomplishes what no other work has managed to do in
the years of the nuclear age. It compels us--and compel is the right word--to confront head on the nuclear peril."
--New York Times Book Review
"There have been thousands of commentaries on what this new destructive power of man means; but my guess is that
Schell's book . . . will become the classic statement of the emerging consciousness."
--Max Lerner, New Republic
"As always, Schell is interesting and ingenious, eloquent and sometimes moving. He presents his case with clarity,
and with candor about its possible shortcomings."
--New Republic
"A reasoned argument. . . . As this work will do much to stimulate the ongoing nuclear debate, it is highly
recommended."
--Library Journa
Stanford University Press Web Site, November, 2000
Summary
Now combined in one volume, these two books helped focus national attention in the early 1980's on the movement
for a nuclear freeze. The Fate of the Earth painted a chilling picture of the planet in the aftermath of a nuclear
holocaust, while The Abolition offered a proposal for full-scale nuclear disarmament. With the recent tensions
in India and Pakistan, and concerns about nuclear proliferation around the globe, public attention is once again
focused on the worldwide nuclear situation. The author is at the forefront of the discussion. In February 1998,
his lengthy essay constituted the centerpiece of a special, widely distributed issue of The Nation dealing with
the nuclear arms race. The relevance of his two books for today's debates is undeniable, as many experts assert
that the nuclear situation is more dangerous than ever
