I wrote a non-fiction book called "Almighty." It's about nuclear weapons, the activists who resist them, and the bureaucracy that maintains them. It is part historical adventure, part courtroom drama, part moral thriller. You can order it here.
My appearances:
Video of my Sept. 18, 2017, lecture in Little Rock, Ark.
Video of my July 25, 2016, Q&A at Half King Bar in New York.
Video of my July 14, 2016, Q&A at Politics & Prose in D.C.
Here's what critics say:
“A scrupulously reported, gracefully told, exquisitely paced debut.” Kirkus (starred review)
“This is a strangely captivating book — dark and utterly frightening … Zak’s narrative is a perfectly measured blend of biography, suspense, and history. He skillfully uses the small, finite story of the Y-12 protest to explore our national identity as a people whose culture is now intimately connected with things nuclear.” Kai Bird, The New York Times Book Review
"This book is essential reading for any American. ... Zak is a terrific writer. His chronicle of our nuclear complex—from the bomb’s creation to the present-day modernization of our nuclear arsenal—unfurls like a film, with drama, suspense and an eye for horrifying absurdities." Claire Schaeffer-Duffy, America magazine
"His sentences are spare, to the point and sometimes hard to forget. ... The book draws much of its strength from Zak’s ability to present the trio with neither lionization nor ridicule. ... The challenge now, which 'Almighty' makes feel both urgent and nearly impossible, is to somehow prevent us — this very flawed and very brilliant species — from unleashing such destructive power, either by design or accident, ever again." Gabriel Thompson, Truthdig
"With nuns splashing blood, countries making pledges, diplomats working to reduce the size of world-destroying arsenals, suppliers cheering a new Cold War, Zak demonstrates that we’re all in it together. And he’s honest enough to report as well the hard truth that none of us yet knows how to get out of it alive." Richard Rhodes (author of "The Making of the Atomic Bomb"), The Washington Post
"Zak gracefully synthesizes the stories of the politicians and bureaucrats controlling stockpiles of weapons and those of the activists working to disarm them." Publisher's Weekly
“Zak takes the reader on a journey into the still-vibrant realm of the US nuclear arms complex. His guides are an aging nun, a house-painter and other everyday Americans who realize the senseless violence at the center of the nation’s national security. A brilliant portrayal of these heroes of our time.” Kate Brown, author of Plutopia
"Read 'Almighty.' Its message is current and extremely urgent." The Huffington Post
