About Biological War: A Scenario
Biological War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen is a deeply reported work of national security journalism examining how a lab accident, biological attack, or global pandemic could trigger the collapse of modern society.
Drawing on dozens of interviews with experts in government, medicine, the military, public health, and emergency response, Jacobsen traces the hours, days, and weeks following the release of a dangerous biological agent.
Unlike a nuclear strike, biological warfare begins without a visible blast or warning. The threat spreads silently through populations and infrastructure, creating the conditions for mass death, societal breakdown, insurrection, anarchy, and a rapidly expanding global crisis.
Written in the same gripping, scenario-based style as Nuclear War: A Scenario, the book explores biosecurity, pandemic preparedness, national resilience, military planning, and the vulnerabilities of systems designed to respond to catastrophic emergencies.
Elliot Ackerman selected Biological War: A Scenario as his August 2026 Book Club Pick.
