E-Book: "Atomic Bombing: How To Protect Yourself"

I saw the pictured book cover at Western Rifle Shooters Association and thought I would track it down for those interested in a PDF copy. You can download a copy here. The book was published in 1950. The topics covered include:

1. What an A-Bomb will do
2. What you can do in civil defense
3. Organizing against A-Bomb attack
4. Keeping A-Bombs away from America
5. Kinds of A-Bomb Radiation
6. The danger of radioactive poisoning
7. How to detect radiation
8. Decontamination
9. Preventing panic
10. Protection is possible
11. Medical first aid
12. The treatment of burns
13. The treatment of shock
14. How to fight a fire
15. Preventing sabotage and looting
16. The history of atomic energy
17. Peaceful uses of atomic energy
18. The hydrogen bomb--can it be made?
19. Can A-Bombing be prevented?

I've only glanced through the book so I can't give a full review but here are a few things I noted. First of all, having been written in 1950, the book is obviously dated--there was a significant amount of testing and research on nuclear weapons and their effects that followed the publication of this book, the dangers of EMP had not yet been realized, and there have obviously been advances in technology and medicine (even first aid) since its publication.

    Second, there is a heavy emphasis on civil defense and being working in conjunction with a federal or state civil defense plan. Thus the information presented is a mix of information intended for civil defense officers and other planners, as well as for the individual. Much of the preparation information deals with community response rather than on how to save you and your family while the world burns. The book also takes the perspective of not just surviving a nuclear attack, but that we would, at that point, be at war with another country (i.e., the Soviet Union), and so it addresses concerns about sabotage and working with the FBI. 

    Third, notwithstanding the foregoing, it does have some good information. It includes a detailed description of what an atomic blast would be like, an simple and basic description of radiation and radiation sickness (poisoning), and delves into decontamination than other books. Although some of the information is obsolete, it has a fairly comprehensive section on first-aid for common injuries after a nuclear attack with an emphasis on treating burns and injuries from blast and debris. It discusses preventing and fighting fires that would result from the thermal flash or other causes. 

    I would not depend solely on this book for my preparations for a nuclear attack, but it has some valuable information and appears it would be interesting from a historical perspective, if nothing else.