Book selected: Civil Defence and the Farmer, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Paperback
New title: After Fallout
This government guide from 1975, gives detailed instructions on planning for a nuclear attack on the UK. Chapters include, Caring for Sheltered Animals; What to do in case of Attack, After Fallout, The Agriculture Departments in Wartime. There are detailed lists for implementing plans, emergency supplies of water, what radiation is, milking, warning signals, the All Clear, how long to stay outside when working, when to take cover, handling affected animals, what to do with affected crops, milk, eggs and meat.
Reading through this book is depressing; it is all so logical, so calmly explained - yet utterly useless when you think about it. If anyone did survive a large-scale nuclear attack, the chances of there being any unaffected farmland left to continue crop or livestock cultivation would be pretty minimal.
All I have done to this book is print The Haywain over the central double page spread. Viewing this idyllic landscape scene behind texts which explain the effects of beta and gamma radiation on animals’ skin sums up, for me, the whole of what would be lost if this happened.
email : Sarah.Bodman@uwe.ac.uk
web : www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/bodmid.htm
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