Clockwise from left: 'Protect and Survive', 1976 [Library shelfmark: GHD.1/7], 'When the wind blows', 1982 [Library shelfmark: H9.82.49], 'Protest and Survive', 1980, [Library shelfmark: P.med.1442[71]] 'The 1980's countdown to Armageddon' [Library shelfmark: QP1.86.587].
The late 1970s and early 1980s saw tensions rising between America and the Soviet Union, and the Cold War between the two superpowers edged towards becoming hot.
As one of America's western allies, and having agreed to station American nuclear missiles, there was an increased chance that Britain could be target for a nuclear attack.
Literary response to nuclear threat
Items from the Library collections serve as a reminder of living with the nuclear threat. 'Protect and Survive', published by the British government contained specific instructions of action to take in the event of a nuclear incident, including building a suitable shelter and storing food and drinking water.
Fictional works offer a different visualisation. Raymond Brigg's macabre-yet-humorous graphic novel 'When the Wind Blows' imagined the fate of an elderly couple following a nuclear explosion. 'The 1980's countdown to Armageddon' by American writer Hal Lindsey foretold a post-1980s future in which communism reigned, the messiah came and UFOs landed on earth.
Anti-nuclear rising
Visions of nuclear annihilation, heightened Cold War tensions and the positioning of US cruise missiles on British soil all provoked anti-nuclear activity, and the Library collections also document this perspective.
Greenham Common air base was one of the intended US missile stations, and in 1981, a women's peace camp was established to protest. Activist E P Thompson, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation issued 'Protest and Survive' mocking the government's 'Protect and Survive' publication and calling for a nuclear-free Europe.
To read more about 1980s nuclear threat and activity, see also:
- International relations essays
- Women's protest culture essay
- Torness power station peaceful protests video
- Blog about advice in the event of a nuclear war.
For more about the Library's governmental collections, you can visit our official publications pages..
Further 1980s essays and videos are available in our 1980s retrospective 'Back to the future: 1979-1989' website.