Civil Defense Against Atomic Attack

What do you do when a nuclear weapon detonates nearby? During the early Cold War years of 1945-63, Civil Defence Canada and the Emergency Measures Organization planned for just such a disaster and encouraged citizens to prepare their families and their cities for nuclear war. By the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the civil defence program was widely mocked, and the public was vastly unprepared for nuclear war. Canada’s civil defence program was born in the early Cold War, when fears of conflict between the superpowers ran high. Give Me Shelter features previously unreleased documents detailing Canada’s nuclear survival plans. Andrew Burtch reveals how the organization publicly appealed to citizens to prepare for disaster themselves -- from volunteering as air-raid wardens to building fallout shelters. This tactic ultimately failed, however, due to a skeptical populace, chronic underfunding, and repeated bureaucratic fumbling. Give Me Shelter exposes the challenges of educating the public in the face of the looming threat of nuclear annihilation. Give Me Shelter explains how governments and the public prepared for the unexpected. It is essential reading for historians, policymakers, and anybody interested in Canada’s Cold War home front.

"Civil Defense Booklets" is the 2nd volume in The Red Dog Nuclear Survival Series. The book contains four official U.S. government civil defense booklets spanning the course of the cold war. Clearly written and richly illustrated, it serves as an essential information resource for those learning to survive the effects of nuclear weapons. Topics covered include tips on surviving the blastwave; the use of shielding against radiation; how to build fallout shelters; assembling shelter supplies; coping with the problems of shelter living; dealing with radiation sickness; and the practical steps needed for recovery across the community. Includes a range of shelter designs.