Share

cover art for Greenland: The Thule Air Base

Atomic Hobo - Nuclear War Podcast

Greenland: The Thule Air Base

Why is America so interested in Greenland? What was its role in nuclear attack and early warning? And what happened when a huge B52 bomber carrying a bunch of hydrogen bombs crashed into the ice up there?


There's a bonus pod which accompanies this episode. You can grab it here, and get ad-free listening for the whole pod archive, at www.patreon.com/atomichobo


The reading list for these Thule episodes is below:


Fifteen Minutes: General Curtis LeMay and the Countdown to Nuclear Annihilation, by L. Douglas Keeney


Command and Control by Eric Schlosser


Project Crested Ice: The Thule Nuclear Accident (SAC Historical Study)


'Greenland and its Relevance to North American Security', Naval War College Review, Vol 32, No. 6

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Pressing the Button: Truman

    20:33|
    First in a new series looking at presidential sole authority to "press the button", and what each President has done with that authority. First up is Truman, obviously, and the lesson for the military seems to be: don't mess with Harry! To get ad-free listening and bonus episodes on your own private pod feed, join us at www.patreon.com/atomichoboJulie
  • When The Wind Blows, Part 18

    26:06|
    Oh dear, it's starting to get really grim!To get ad-free listening, plus bonus epiosdes, join us at www.patreon.com/atomichobo
  • Shadow Libraries

    23:14|
    How do you protect the written word from the bomb? Using salt mines and shadow libraries and iron mountains!To get ad-free listening join my Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo
  • When The Wind Blows, Part 17

    26:49|
    Overkill, megadeath and a single Fruit Pastille. We approach the dreadful end.For ad-free listening, join me on Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo
  • Nuclear Fear: The Prologue, Part 2

    36:49|
    Here is the second part of the Prologue to NUCLEAR FEAR, my book on nuclear pop culture which can't find a publisher.Should I self-publish? Are there enough nuclear nerds out there to make it viable?You can get ad-free listening plus bonus episodes at www.patreon.com/atomichobo
  • Nuclear Fear: the Prologue

    25:06|
    A different episode from the usual: this is Part One of the Prologue from my second book, NUCLEAR FEAR. Unfortunately, it cannot find a publisher. NUCLEAR FEAR was to be a book about the pop culture inspired by the bomb and our fear of nuclear war. I wonder should I ditch it? No publisher wants it, but do nuclear nerds want it? Over on my Patreon page some have suggested crowdfunding to publish it myself. Well, listen to the Prologue and let me know what you think. This is Part One, and I'll upload the second part tomorrow.Remember you can get ad-free listening and bonus episodes, and join our nuclear book club, THE DOOMSDAY LIBRARY, on my Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo Thank you,Julie
  • Jitters in North Carolina?

    30:35|
    Two nuclear crises hit in the early 60s: the Berlin Crisis in '61, then Cuba in '62. How did the good people of North Carolina react?In other news, I'm launching a nuclear book club called The Doomsday Library. Here's a video, open to all, showing how it works. If the link doesn't work, visit my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/atomichobo I hope you'll join us: https://www.patreon.com/posts/join-our-library-152470538?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
  • The Sculthorpe Nuclear Weapons Incident

    24:09|
    What happened on a Norfolk air base in 1958 when an American threatened to k1ll himself by firing a gun into an atomic bomb? My thanks to the Conelrad6401240 YouTube/Twitter account for alerting me to this story, and for uploading the associated documentary, 'Something Foolish With A Pistol'. Get ad-free episodes, plus bonus episodes, for £3 a month here www.patreon.com/atomichoboThank you,Julie
  • Soviet Civil Defence: The Komsomol

    39:24|
    The Soviet youth organisation, the Komsomol, and how it prepared the young for nuclear war with "predators from the imperialist jungle", as Khrushchev nicely put it.I quote from THE WHISPERERS: PRIVATE LIFE IN STALIN'S RUSSIA by Orlando Figes.Get ad-free access to all episodes, plus bonus episodes, here www.patreon.com/atomichoboJulie