If you’ve ever wanted to go beyond what we talk about in our episodes, or you’re just curious about what’s on our bookshelf… look no further!
As an added bonus, any time you click on the links here to buy one of these amazing books, a portion of the sale will come back to yours truly. Help us help you learn about the depths of human suffering and resilience!
Psst, don’t tell anyone, but we don’t always read the written word. Dog, family, life… who’s got time for a cover-to-cover word sandwich? If you’re looking to give the gift of audiobooks, consider getting that special someone an Audible subscription!
“The Great Mortality”
John Kelly
This is the book that inspired our Black Death episodes. It’s a riveting telling of possibly the closest humanity has ever come to its complete annihilation. John Kelly goes into supreme detail about the events that set the stage for the Black Death to invade Europe, and pulls no punches when describing Yersinia Pestis‘ brutality. If you were craving more after part 2 of our series ended, here’s the cure to your morbid curiosity.
“Midnight in Chernobyl”
Adam Higginbotham
This thorough history of the events that led to the catastrophic meltdown of Reactor Number 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Generating Facility is gripping from cover to cover. From the Soviet mentality in half-assing the construction, to the Soviet mentality in covering up the fallout… if you’re looking to go beyond our two-part episode, let this book be your first stop!
“The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst”
Nicholas Tomalin & Ron Hall
Peter was obsessed with the story of Donald Crowhurst from the moment he learned about him. The obsession led Peter to tear through the pages of this book, and produce our two-part episode on the Teignmouth Electron, the ship that Crowhurst would ride into the depths of psychological oblivion. If you’ve ever craved a tale of getting in over your head, this is the book for you.
“Deep Survival”
Laurence Gonzales
We talk a lot about who survives a disaster and why. What sets the brave apart from the cautious, and where is the line between daring and stupid? By telling stories of survival and death in the face of natural and human-made disaster, this book goes into the physical and psychological underpinnings of who makes it and who doesn’t…
“The Indifferent Stars Above”
Daniel James Brown
One of our guiding principles when picking episode topics is no disasters caused by malice. So you definitely won’t hear us talk about 9/11… but the Donner party is a story we keep teetering around. Regardless, this is the book that kindled Peter’s obsession with disasters. If you want to see the depths of what a human can really go through and come out the other end, curl up with this tale of woe. Bring extra socks.