ra So Snag INFORMATION & PUBS, <2. Deputy Assistant Director for Training, Education and Public ee January 6, 1960 Robert E. Waggoner, Director Conference Office Alas i I am not sure that it is within our province to comment on the literary aspects of the book, as such. Mr. Frank is a writer of established ability. However, it is my personal opinion that the characters in this book are not as vivid and compelling as are those who have appeared in others of his efforts. In terms of the mission of civil defense, it would seem to me that the outstanding advantage of this book is that it demonstrates the fact that people will survive a nuclear attack under certain circumstances. The importance of this conclusion is highlighted by the implication of "On the Beach,"--namely, that no one will survive. In this re- stricted area, Alas Babylon is important to us. A eritical and analytical examination of the book, however, leads me to this conclusion. Mr. Frank has constructed a very limited and restricted set of circumstances, which in fact, cause the survival of the main characters of his book. For example, they live on fish and ctrus fruits, and drink water from an artesian well. In fact, the hardships they suffer are not substantially greater than those experienced by the early pioneers. This is due to Mr. Frank's assumption that there is no fallout in the limited area in which the story is set. It seems to me that it stretches accuracy to assume, as Mr. Frank does, that the whole State of Florida can a critical area with the exception of this small Fz where the main characters live. we “2 m Im terms of the specific work of the civil defémse ai Mr. Frank is harsh. The local civil defense made no preparation. He is painted as a near buffoon. The ‘ cen & er Ler vip 97civil defense pamphlets were stored in the library, because the civil defense director was certain that the people of his town did not want to be bothered with facts concerning survival. In fact, the civil defense director is so ineffectual he assumes no importance in the book or in the post-attack survival battle. There is no evidence of any preplanning by any person in the book with the exception of the main character who buys @ substantial amount of food following the one-day warning of his brother--a high-ranking security official of the Air Force, Mr. Frank assumes that there are no lines of commmication between the ZEEE S gt it & F E B oie & i al a 3 Z gE Robert E. Waggoner ce: Mr. Handleman-105E0B Central Files (2) ,/