Protect and Survive nuclear attack guide
Released without fanfare to a limited number of public officials in 1976, Protect and Survive was intended as an instruction manual for the public on what to do should nuclear attack take place in the UK.
The booklet was prepared by the UK’s Central Office of Information – the government’s in-house communications agency – as part of a wider campaign, which included television and radio broadcasts and newspaper inserts.
Under pressure from the media, the British government hastily made a new edition of the booklet available for sale in 1980. Presented outside of its intended context, the booklet quickly became the object of public ridicule (including artistic treatment) and impacted the efficacy of future public information campaigns of this type. A pdf of the full booklet is available from the Wilson Center.
The images shown here are from the 1980 edition. The original 1976 edition is identical, though, in terms of typography.
