Book Review: The 53: Rituals, Grief, and a Titan II Missile Disaster by Jason S. Ulsperger

Abstract

In The 53: Rituals, Grief, and a Titan II Missile Disaster, Jason S. Ulsperger covers the deadliest accident to occur in a U.S. nuclear facility, the Launch Complex 373-4 disaster. On August 9, 1965, this catastrophe killed 53 men in rural Arkansas in an underground Cold War missile silo at Launch Complex 373-4. According to government reports, this disaster was caused by a welder on Level 2 of the silo. In reality, this may not be the case. Ulsperger explores how the disaster impacted the families of those workers decades after the event. Passionate about disaster research, Ulsperger’s goal is to bring new sociological insight into technological disasters and the sorrow that proceeds. The book explores topics ranging from the essential sociological framework used in Ulsperger’s research on the disaster to the suffering the families have dealt with over the years, and to the government’s impact on these types of disasters. Throughout the book, Ulsperger draws comparisons between the disaster and the COVID-19 pandemic to make a connection between non-normative events that exert influences on the developmental trajectories of Americans and others. The primary sociological concept highlighted in this work is structural ritualization theory (SRT). This theory poses that people make rituals in their everyday lives that can affect the greater structure of their lives and give order to them. Ulsperger dives deep into how SRT is applied to the LC 373-4 disaster. Much of this book’s research is drawn from primary research obtained via one-on-one interviews and secondary research. Rich quotes from interviews, visualizations, and case studies enrich the narrative. Ulsperger has a personal connection to the LC 373-4 disaster, as his own grandfather perished in the event. Thus, with his expertise, he is able to provide a deep sociological analysis of the event and post-disaster life. His personal experience provides a context into which the stories from the victims’ families are honored. The first two chapters introduce the Titans, with the aim to draw comparisons between them and the missile disaster. The goal of this section is to introduce readers to the disaster through rich storytelling. The next few chapters of the book (Chapters 3–5) take a sociological approach to issues related to the disaster, such as the sociology of ritual, disaster, and sorrow. Scholars will learn about sociology’s relevance to rituals and aspects of grief. Ulsperger then examines these theoretical issues Book Review