Alas, Babylon

By: Pat Frank

Narrated by: Will Patton

This true modern masterpiece is built around the two fateful words that make up the title and herald the end - “Alas, Babylon.” When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly.

But for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness. Will Patton's narration paints this classic tale as an ominous picture of the terrible possibilites of the nuclear age.

©1959 Harry Hart Frank (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Fiction, 2012

"An enthralling and vivid story of the follies and failures of people, their courage and cruelty, their treachery and triumphs. Mr. Frank is a magnificent writer." ( Chicago Sunday Tribune)

"A warm, continuously interesting story of what can happen to a group of ordinary people in a perilous situation." ( New York Herald Tribune)

“Will Patton is a calm and steady narrator whose quiet intensity wraps around this post-apocalyptic saga...He reflects the tones of deference of women to men, nonwhites to whites, and children to adults. In a conversational tone, he quietly brings the characters and their relationships to life.” ( AudioFile)

Timeless

I am amazed that it took so long for me to find this book-thank you Audible! This is a true classic and not dated in the way that I feared. There are no explicit sex scenes or graphic violence and the characters know nothing of the modern technology that we take for granted. What we do get is an expertly crafted and narrated story of survival. The characters are well drawn and engaging. The plot is realistic in a way that many more recently written and acclaimed books fail to achieve.
I thoroughly enjoyed it-a new favorite!

Awesome

I loved this book. The naration was fantastic,story was great. I recommend this book to anyone considering it.

Post-nuclear apocalypse BBQ

1959. One of the early nuclear war stories. You know what happens.

Much of it seems dated now, but then that's interesting as an insight into 1950s American life in the South. Characters are fleshed out enough to carry the story. Not too melodramatic; brutally matter of fact.

I'd be curious to know more about the reception/impact of this book at the time. I think stories like this did help save us from nuclear apocalypse by clarifying the madness of mutually assured destruction.

Excellent narration.

Thanks Audible for rescuing this.

You think this couldn't happen? Think Again

Just finished this audio book, which by the way was written when I was only four years old . . . but for a few things, like the prices of things, etc., it could have been written today . . . America thinks the Federal Reserve is infallible . . . nothing is as sure as death and taxes . . . well, if there were no IRS, no central government, no grocery stores, no televisions or dvd players, no drive thrus . . .how WOULD we be able to survive? I grew up in the time when the threat of nuclear war was a real and present danger . . . when fall out shelters existed, and we had drills in school. The cold war was real, the USSR was our enemy. After high school, I became an army wife. We were stationed in Europe when the Berlin wall fell, and the cold war ended. Two sons have served in Iraq, a very different kind of war, yet the similarities of America's political correctness, complacency, and underestimation of the enemy are still here . . . and greater. We are a nation even more spoiled by conveniences than in 1959, yet the author had an uncanny grasp of human nature, both the tendency for evil, as well as good that exists, whether it is current day or centuries ago. The book will cause one to think, to ponder what is truly valuable, and for that alone it is priceless.

Left Me Stunned

I opted for this novel because of North Korea's recent threats concerning its nuclear capabilities. Frank's 2005 book begins just before the US and Russia's nuclear holocaust and focuses on a small inland Florida community in the months thereafter.

The carefully thought-out details resulting from devastating shortages--salt and batteries, for example--and how the survivors deal with the loss of communication with other areas of the country are fascinating. Does the United States still exist? How do we feed ourselves and protect our loved ones from roaming highwaymen? What do we do without antibiotics, insulin, and anesthesia? What happens when the town's only doctor is savagely beaten by addicts who steal his meager supplies? How do we keep ourselves warm? On and on.

In a world without fuel-powered transportation, electricity, money, and the comforts we take for granted, the protagonists depend upon their ingenuity, common sense, and courage, and they strengthen the bonds of family and cooperation with neighbors so they can survive.

Effusive praise cannot do justice to Will Patton's narration. He puts you right there with the characters--men, women, black, white, young, and old, of every background. It was amazing.

Listening to this book was an unforgettable experience.

Worth a read

I read this book when it was first published. I still like it. Well narrated. A worthwhile investment of time and money.

Interesting, but out of date

The story itself is intriguing, and blossoms with detail. The main draw back, which could be somewhat attributed to the era in which the novel is set, is its mildly racist, and strongly sexist content. While these do not overly dominate the book, the main character’s objectifying attitude towards women puts a damper on its otherwise excellent content.

Absolutely outstanding!

Brilliant book with an amazing performance by Will Patton. Highly recommended. It's a very realistic look at what living in a post nuclear war world would be like. Also, no zombies.

Written in 1959, Still Relevant Today.

I was somewhat reluctant to listen to Alas Babylon because I read it for the first time when I was about 13 years old. Many of the books I thought were excellent at age 13 turn out to be less than excellent today. I'm almost 50 and my taste has changed as well as my perspective of the world. A second reason I was reluctant to read this book was because I dislike books that are clearly dated in their technology and writing style.

I have an audible library of over 400 books and I am very glad I returned to Alas Babylon. I did NOT find any of the storyline dated and I am sure that this time around I was more appreciative of the international political discussion that I probably skimmed over in my youth. This is not a survivalist's handbook, but a story of survival that was very well written. Give the book a listen too you will not be disappointed.

Will Patton is one of my favorite narrators.

If you are looking for a survivalist handbook try "Going Home" by A. American

I worry that as the world's population grows and resources dwindle we may end up in a similar situation. God help us if we do.

Gripping tale of survival!

My first Pat Frank but not my last! First book in a long while that kept my attention the whole way. Couldn't stop listening.
Will Patton was an excellent choice for narrating the story. Don't know if it was the story or the narration - but whatever it was, it worked for me!!