Cresson H. Kearny Books

Research was conducted to assess how average citizens could construct their own shelters in the event of a political crisis or nuclear attack. In the mid-1970s, as Civil Defense efforts declined, it became evident that the Soviet Union and China had better preparations for their citizens in urban areas. This report, developed under the U.S. ERDA, which was established in 1974 following the split of the Atomic Energy Commission, serves as a foundational study for Cresson Kearny’s more comprehensive work on nuclear survival skills. The report details simple shelters that can be built in 1 to 3 days, including the Door-Covered Trench Shelter, Log-Covered Trench Shelter, Above-Ground Door-Covered Shelter, and Car-Over Trench Shelter. It emphasizes the feasibility of millions of Americans evacuating to rural areas and constructing high-protection-factor expedient shelters during a crisis. Untrained families successfully built these shelters under simulated crisis conditions, guided by clear, illustrated instructions and motivated by the prospect of a cash bonus for timely completion. The report features photographs documenting these families' experiences and the various types of shelters they constructed, showcasing their effectiveness and the practical skills of average Americans in emergency scenarios.

Be prepared for the worst case scenario with t this field-tested guide to surviving a nuclear attack, written by a revered civil defense expert.This edition of Cresson H. Kearny’s iconic Nuclear War Survival Skills (originally published in 1979 and updated by Kearny himself in 1987 and again in 2001), offers expert advice for ensuring your family’s safety should the worst come to pass. Chock-full of practical instructions and preventative measures, Nuclear War Survival Skills is based on years of meticulous scientific research conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.Written at a time when global tensions were at their peak, Nuclear War Survival Skills remains relevant in the dangerous age in which we now live.