A weekly podcast on how we prepared for nuclear war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nov 14, 2026 · 22:50
Our next four minutes of The Day After. Join me on Patreon for extra episodes and ad-free access, delivered straight to your own feed. I'm at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on…
Nov 10, 2026 · 25:38
In this episode, ominous ice cream suggests nuclear war may be drawing near... Join us on Patreon for ad-free access and extra episodes at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on…
Nov 7, 2026 · 29:21
Our first four minutes of the film takes us to the civil war, a massacre in old Kansas, Dorothy, doomsday planes, and a diabetic poodle. Join us on Patreon for ad-free listening…
Nov 2, 2026 · 40:43
How did ABC promote and warn viewers about 'The Day After' in November 1983? And were any companies brave enough to buy up ad slots during the film? Join us on Patreon for…
Sep 7, 2026 · 25:52
Something a little bit different this week: it's the first chapter of the nuclear war novel I'm writing. I'll be releasing the subsequent chapters in podcast form over on my…
Aug 4, 2026 · 22:54
We reach the end of the film. To whom can Jim pray? Is anyone out there, either in heaven, or in the lanes and streets of Sussex? Vote for which nuclear war film you want me to…
Jul 29, 2026 · 26:00
Camden annoy the Government in 1984 with more questions about nuclear war. You can read the accompanying archive material on my Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on…
Jul 22, 2026 · 37:34
Back into the archives to see what happened when Camden Borough Council wrote to the Home Office in 1984 with some clever questions. All the archive material referred to in the…
Jul 14, 2026 · 29:08
Michael Heseltine - nicknamed Tarzan - became Defence Secretary in Jan 1983 and formed Defence Secretariat 19, a group charged with attacking CND. To get ad-free access and…
Jul 11, 2026 · 27:05
Hard Rock in 1982 would've been the biggest nuclear war planning exercise in Britain for years - but the government were forced to cancel it, and anti-nuclear campaigners reacted…
Jun 16, 2026 · 29:41
Our nuclear book club has now started on Patreon, and the first video is free to view. You can watch it at www.patreon.com/atomichobo The first book was THE CHRYSALIDS but the…
May 27, 2026 · 18:43
How does a "pal" stop an "individual psychotic" from launching a nuke? JFK had the answer. To get ad-free access, and bonus episodes, visit www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on…
May 12, 2026 · 25:37
Eisenhower introduced three big nuclear changes which overturned Truman's policies on presidential sole authority. To get ad-free access, plus extra episodes, consider joining my…
May 6, 2026 · 25:20
More on Truman and sole presidential authority, and why did Curtis LeMay say he would refuse to be 'fat, dumb and happy' if America got nuked? As with last week's episode on…
May 2, 2026 · 30:37
Jim finally accepts how dire their situation is. To get ad-free listening and bonus episodes, join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See…
Apr 27, 2026 · 20:33
First in a new series looking at presidential sole authority to "press the button", and what each President has done with that authority. First up is Truman, obviously, and the…
Apr 17, 2026 · 26:06
Oh dear, it's starting to get really grim! To get ad-free listening, plus bonus epiosdes, join us at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…
Apr 15, 2026 · 23:14
How do you protect the written word from the bomb? Using salt mines and shadow libraries and iron mountains! To get ad-free listening join my Patreon at…
Apr 3, 2026 · 26:49
Overkill, megadeath and a single Fruit Pastille. We approach the dreadful end. For ad-free listening, join me on Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See…
Apr 1, 2026 · 36:49
Here is the second part of the Prologue to NUCLEAR FEAR, my book on nuclear pop culture which can't find a publisher. Should I self-publish? Are there enough nuclear nerds out…
Mar 31, 2026 · 25:06
A different episode from the usual: this is Part One of the Prologue from my second book, NUCLEAR FEAR. Unfortunately, it cannot find a publisher. NUCLEAR FEAR was to be a book…
Mar 18, 2026 · 30:35
Two nuclear crises hit in the early 60s: the Berlin Crisis in '61, then Cuba in '62. How did the good people of North Carolina react? In other news, I'm launching a nuclear book…
Feb 24, 2026 · 24:09
What happened on a Norfolk air base in 1958 when an American threatened to k1ll himself by firing a gun into an atomic bomb? My thanks to the Conelrad6401240 YouTube/Twitter…
Feb 17, 2026 · 39:24
The Soviet youth organisation, the Komsomol, and how it prepared the young for nuclear war with "predators from the imperialist jungle", as Khrushchev nicely put it. I quote from…
Feb 10, 2026 · 41:22
Americans in the early 50s were told there was a "civil defence gap", and that the Soviets were superior in protecting their population? Was this true? As mentioned in the pod, I…
Feb 2, 2026 · 22:19
Why is America so interested in Greenland? What was its role in nuclear attack and early warning? And what happened when a huge B52 bomber carrying a bunch of hydrogen bombs…
Jan 26, 2026 · 36:08
How would Harold Macmillan have ordered nuclear retaliation? Join us at www.patreon.com/atomichobo for ad-free listening and bonus episodes. The books and articles I used in this…
Jan 15, 2026 · 35:34
Thor is here! In 1958, the American Thor missiles arrive in the east of England, creating a headache for the authorities, and pain for those who protested their arrival and found…
Jan 5, 2026 · 29:57
Supermac becomes Prime Minister in January 1957, a bumper year for nuclear matters! To get ad-free listening and extra episodes join us at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on…
Dec 8, 2025 · 34:06
A new series on former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, a man born in the Victorian era who led Britain into her thermonuclear age and through the Cuban Missile Crisis. This…
Dec 2, 2025 · 33:11
To get ad-free listening, plus bonus episodes, visit www.patreon.com/atomichobo This week, Jim retreats into daydreams, and Hilda dishes out hard truths at the kitchen sink.…
Nov 25, 2025 · 30:44
To get ad-free access, plus bonus episodes, please visit www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 18, 2025 · 32:35
The chart-topping 1983 hit about nuclear war - even though the band insisted it was no such thing! To get ad-free episodes, plus bonus episodes, please visit…
Nov 10, 2025 · 31:08
Lions and tigers and bears? Oh my! We see that everything becomes a threat after nuclear war. And what is that strange scent hanging in the air? Also, a new BONUS EPISODE has…
Nov 3, 2025 · 32:00
The final part of our look at Savoir Pour Vivre, the French civil defence booklet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 29, 2025 · 42:27
The weird post-nuclear novel, A Canticle for Leibowitz. We will continue our series on the French civil defence booklet next week. I just couldn't resist interrupting my own…
Oct 21, 2025 · 37:39
We look at the French civil defence booklet, Savoir Pour Vivre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 10, 2025 · 25:51
I have the 1965 French civil defence booklet, and you can view it on Patreon here. I've made it free to read, but do consider subscribing for more content and extra pod episodes!…
Sep 1, 2025 · 24:09
How will Germany alert its population to a nuclear attack? And why isn't the British warning system as good as theirs? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 25, 2025 · 29:37
Jim lets the vampire, Fallout, cross the threshold! Join me on Patreon for more episodes at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 18, 2025 · 23:07
The Bell and Light alert system, used in America in the early Cold War. I discuss the booklet A Realistic Approach to Civil Defense, from 1966. You can view the civil defence…
Aug 13, 2025 · 26:37
"All dead..." Jim tries the TV, the radio, the phone...but there's nothing. "All dead..." he keeps saying. Get the latest Four Minutes of The War Game over on Patreon at…
Aug 4, 2025 · 20:11
In 1983, a GP from a village near Bristol was so worried about the prospect of nuclear war, and how it would leave him unable to effectively treat his patients, that he called a…
Jul 21, 2025 · 41:35
A difficult subject this week - but aren't they all? We don't do sunshine and rainbows on this pod. I look at the topic of "suicide pills" which was bravely raised by American…
Jun 30, 2025 · 25:44
"I never knew a bomb could give you a headache." The fallout descends and Jim and Hilda start to feel ill. For patrons, a new Four Minutes of The War Game episode has also been…
Jun 10, 2025 · 26:13
I go into the newspaper archives to see what the local papers in Aldershot were saying about nuclear war in the early 80s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…
Jun 2, 2025 · 25:08
Their first hours within the tiny inner refuge. Join us on Patreon here www.patreon.com/atomichobo Thanks for listening. Julie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…
May 27, 2025 · 25:58
Chairman Mao and his "paper tigers". Join us on Patreon for more episodes at www.patreon.com/atomichobo I quote a lot of good books in this episode, so here is a list: Tombstone:…
May 19, 2025 · 33:12
The first terrible 48 hours after the Bomb drops... Join me on Patreon for more episodes at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 12, 2025 · 39:39
The episode where the bomb drops! I've also uploaded a new Four Minutes of The War Game episode for patrons, so please consider joining us there at www.patreon.com/atomichobo…
Apr 29, 2025 · 36:03
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Apr 21, 2025 · 26:55
"LA was bombed today" said the local paper in 1951. This was Operation Wake Up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 20, 2025 · 23:06
The 1950s trend - which caused mockery and anger - for calling the hydrogen bomb "clean" or "humanitarian". Could the Americans make this awful weapon clean , or was it just a…
Mar 10, 2025 · 43:01
The shadow of death falls over Jim and Hilda's cottage. Not that they notice! Too busy sorting out bottles and pepper pots - getting things just right for the bomb! Hosted on…
Mar 4, 2025 · 33:02
Operation Hot Rod in 1951 took five 1930s cars out to the new Nevada test site. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 24, 2025 · 37:44
The 1953 nuclear test, ANNIE, and her creepy mannequins, wrecked cars, and flying toilets. Join us on Patreon for more content at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See…
Feb 19, 2025 · 50:36
A long episode today because the bomb draws near. Jim tries to protect his home with pineapple chunks, cushions and white paint. Join us on Patreon to read Jim's civil defence…
Feb 5, 2025 · 48:37
What happened when a sect arrived in Montana in the 1980s, with predictions that the end was nigh, annoying the bears at Yellowstone, and digging shelters all over the place?…
Jan 29, 2025 · 27:51
Examining the film, four minutes at a time. This week, Jim and Hilda hide from reality via wartime nostalgia. But the missiles are being readied. Join my Patreon here and get…
Jan 20, 2025 · 25:13
The Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) was set up in 1963 to alert Americans, via TV and radio, of nuclear attack. Stations were required to test the EBS once a week, but some got…
Jan 13, 2025 · 38:50
The American radio system which operated from 1953 - 1963 and would dispense civil defence advice to the public whilst working to confuse an incoming Soviet bomber. Join us on…
Dec 23, 2024 · 18:24
In 1961, the Soviets resumed nuclear testing in the Arctic, and one wee girl from Michigan was worried about the implications for Santa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy…
Dec 16, 2024 · 31:55
In 1962, New Mexico built America's first - and last - underground school. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 2, 2024 · 31:38
In 1961, a group of families from New York gave up their lives on the East Coast and headed west in search of a place safe from nuclear attack. But did they choose the right…
Oct 29, 2024 · 29:10
The atomic city of Richland - bustin' atoms, blowin' bubbles, and expelling "undesirables". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 24, 2024 · 25:20
The building of the world's first plutonium plant in Washington state. Make way for the plutonium pioneers! Join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Julie Hosted on…
Oct 16, 2024 · 23:41
Will we all go together when we go? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 23, 2024 · 37:20
If you thought the hydrogen bomb was as bad as it gets, then the cobalt bomb is here to say, "Hold my beer!" Tickets still available for this weekend's HoboCon '24 where we'll…
Sep 4, 2024 · 32:10
How to keep your village free from "marauders" - the local issues concerning Sussex in the early 80s. Tickets now on sale for this year's HoboCon - www.patreon.com/atomichobo…
Aug 27, 2024 · 39:22
Tickets now available for HoboCon '24 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Threads. Get them here www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…
Aug 12, 2024 · 53:51
Is this the only great nuclear war novel? And will it fry your head? Grab your spear and head to post-holocaust Kent with Riddley Walker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy…
Jul 23, 2024 · 1:01:35
First in our new series, examining WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, four minutes at a time. (Please excuse any snaps or clicks you might hear. It's my pup chewing. She's too young to be left…
Jun 10, 2024 · 48:21
The final Four Minutes of Threads episode! I have also put every Four Minutes episode together, minus all the intros and outros, into one gigantic podcast episode. It is 12…
Jun 6, 2024 · 38:45
The 1981 conference of the American Civil Defense Association, featuring discussion of pancake batter, Kansas City, Minutemen, and The Twilight Zone Join me on Patreon here:…
May 28, 2024 · 41:22
Get extra content and bonus episodes at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 21, 2024 · 38:17
Join me on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/atomichobo Get a copy of my book, Attack Warning Red, here: https://linktr.ee/attackwarningred Introductory music: "No More Forevers" by…
May 14, 2024 · 45:16
The second half of Sweden's 1961 civil defence booklet, covering evacuation, letters home, luggage, baths and plastic sheeting. Join me on Patreon here:…
May 7, 2024 · 58:29
The 1961 version of the Swedish civil defence booklet has been translated for me by two kind listeners. Let's explore it, comparing it to the British booklet of the same era. You…
Mar 20, 2024 · 49:42
Are the Swedish brave enough to take surstromming into their shelter? Find my Patreon page <a href= https://www.patreon.com/atomichobo > here</a> Introductory music: No More…
Mar 11, 2024 · 36:08
The Soviets tried to call the Baltic "the sea of peace" but Sweden had a few objections. Especially as any disruptions to the Baltic "peace" seemed to be coming from the Soviets,…
Feb 7, 2024 · 32:56
We reach the penultimate episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 30, 2024 · 50:38
Back in the archives this week. We look at a US civil defence booklet from 1969 about fallout shelters in schools. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 18, 2023 · 29:43
Churchill and Eden head to Bermuda for a conference with Eisenhower. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 4, 2023 · 24:43
Churchill sails across the Atlantic to meet Eisenhower - the new US President. But even though they are allies and friends from the war, there will be no nukes and kisses from…
Nov 27, 2023 · 35:14
Britain gets the bomb! Then gets left behind again... Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…
Nov 13, 2023 · 19:17
Why did Britain choose Australia for its first nuclear test - and why did Australia say yes? Join me on Patreon for extra podcast episodes www.patreon.com/atomichobo Thank you!…
Nov 7, 2023 · 41:36
Ruth! Work! Up! In this episode we see the fine reward Ruth gets for rearing her child and guarding her from the ultimate horrors of the world. A bonus episode has been uploaded…
Oct 16, 2023 · 36:01
Looking at a Canadian civil defence magazine from the 1960s, called Survival. Its main purpose was to overcome apathy amongst Canadians about nuclear war and civil defence, and…
Sep 18, 2023 · 15:24
In the 1960s, America considered the N.E.A.R. system: a little black box you plug into the wall which acts as a personal air raid alarm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy…
Sep 4, 2023 · 24:03
It's 1951 and Churchill is back in Downing Street - but is he living in "atomic wonderland"? You can support the podcast and get extra episodes here…
Aug 30, 2023 · 22:21
Clement Attlee's efforts in 1950 to make America promise to consult Britain before launching the nukes. <a href="https://www.patreon.com/atomichobo?fan_landing=true&view_as=public…
Aug 21, 2023 · 27:18
The short video recorded by CNN which would be broadcast if nuclear war started. You can buy my book, ATTACK WARNING RED here: https://linktr.ee/attackwarningred And you can…
Aug 14, 2023 · 46:41
In 1981, Protect and Survive Monthly claimed they had been "attacked" in a BBC lecture. I found the lecture, and analyse it here. You can find it on YouTube at this link…
Aug 7, 2023 · 23:45
The arrival in Britain of the B-29s in 1948. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 31, 2023 · 18:19
Britain's decision to build their own atomic bomb. You can listen to my book on Radio 4 here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m001p1ky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy…
Jul 24, 2023 · 31:22
Standard life - for all of your life! Rat-trading, pylon-snapping, dog-barking, umbilical cord-chewing, starving, freezing Threads! Remember my book, ATTACK WARNING RED, goes out…
Jul 20, 2023 · 23:54
The secret plutonium experiments carried out in Cold War America. You can buy Attack Warning Red: How Britain Prepared for Nuclear War here: https://linktr.ee/attackwarningred…
Jun 6, 2023 · 27:19
The gathering of children's bones in order to track fallout. Join me on Patreon for extra podcast episodes at www.patreon.com/atomichobo And you can buy my new book here:…
May 29, 2023 · 19:06
The survivors try to drag and hack dead crops from the ground and, high on the moor, Ruth's baby is born. A moment of hope and joy? Don't be daft! You can get my new book, ATTACK…
May 22, 2023 · 31:56
Looking at a 1970 booklet called Civil Defense in the Textile, Apparel and Related Industries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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