48 Hours: A Novel

by William R. Forstchen

Overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of the smash hit One Second After series comes 48 Hours, a nail-biting and prescient thriller about a solar storm with the power to destroy the world's electrical infrastructure

In 48 hours, the Earth will be hit by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun, a "Carrington Event" that has the power to shut down and possibly destroy the world's electrical infrastructure. To try and prevent permanent damage, everything goes dark prior to the hit: global communications are shut down; hospital emergency generators are disconnected; the entire internet, media broadcasting, and cell phone systems are turned off.

Will the world's population successfully defend itself in the wake of the CME, or will mass panic lead to the breakdown of society as we know it?

William R. Forstchen is at his best in 48 Hours, a tale of the resilience of American citizens when faced with a crisis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765397928
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	281,225
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

WILLIAM R. FORSTCHEN is the New York Times bestselling author of One Second After, One Year After, and The Final Day. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Purdue University, with specializations in military history and the history of technology. Forstchen is currently a faculty fellow and professor of history at Montreat College, near Asheville, North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

William R. Forstchen is the master of real-world apocalyptic fiction, and his latest 48 Hours is a story that should be read by all—not just as a riveting piece of fiction but also as a cautionary tale of humanity at the edge. Here is a book that should be on everyone’s shelf, a guidebook to the end of the world.”
—James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Demon Crown

“When you’re done with this one, you’re going to ask yourself: Is this possible? Can it really happen? Here’s the scary part. Not only can it happen, it already has, only this time it’s going to be far, far worse. A surreal treat.”
—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author

“When the sun blasts the earth with two life-extinguishing explosions of solar rays, humanity is suddenly brought to the brink of utter annihilation. What will we do? The reader will race through this stunning, electrifying novel all the way to its final, shocking conclusion and come back begging for more. I’m definitely hoping for a sequel.”
—William S. Cohen, New York Times bestselling author and Former Secretary of Defense

“[Forstchen’s] best book to date. . . . Fans of apocalyptic thrillers such as the movie Deep Impact will be engrossed.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 11/12/2018
A solar storm known as a coronal mass ejection has struck Earth in this intelligent near-future thriller from bestseller Forstchen (The Final Day), his best book to date. Parts of the U.S. are without electricity, and some cities declare martial law to maintain control. But even as Americans struggle to deal with limited resources, a team of astronomers at the Helio Observation Center, headed by Dr. Richard Carrington, have detected an intense solar flare, nicknamed Sauron’s Eye, which has the potential of wiping out humanity. Carrington is summoned to the White House to report his findings directly to the president, who wrestles over how to respond without causing mass panic. Meanwhile, Darren Brooks, a former police chief who now heads security at a massive underground storage facility in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., must resolve a moral dilemma after he learns that the site, which includes supplies that could enable thousands to survive the calamity, is to be taken over by the military. Fans of apocalyptic thrillers such as the movie Deep Impact will be engrossed. Agent: Eleanor Wood, Spectrum Literary. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly