On August 6, 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, another atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. With these two terrible events, the Second World War came to an end. These bombings also created the Atomic Age with all of its terrifying implications. In the last year there has been a continuing series of reports about the development of a nuclear bomb in Iran. The Iranian government has not been shy about stating its desire to destroy the nation of Israel. So the threat of a nuclear war today is not simply something that can be discounted. In this interesting, harrowing book, Steve Sheinkin describes the development of the atomic bomb by the United States in the famous Manhattan Project centered in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He also details the intense and successful efforts made by Russia to get physicists working on the Manhattan Project to commit treason by betraying the United States. The name of this jarring book is "BOMB: The Race To Build and Steal The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon."
The story begins with the successful splitting of atoms in Germany in 1938. By this time Hitler is firmly in power and is clearly seen as a threat to world peace. One of the many Jewish scientists to have fled Germany is Albert Einstein. Upon hearing of this development, he writes a letter to President Roosevelt urging the American development of the atomic bomb. If Germany gains the weapon before the United States, a world-wide calamity will ensue. As World War II breaks out, Roosevelt starts the atomic bomb project in Manhattan, New York which leads to the program being called The Manhattan Project. The brilliant physicist, Robert Oppenheimer, is named to head the development. Within several years, Oppenheimer has gathered together a massive team of physicists, chemists, engineers and other workers. The site chosen for the development of the bomb will be the remote hamlet of Los Alamos, New Mexico. The whole project is top secret and well-funded. After several years of immense effort by some of the greatest scientific minds in the world, the atomic bomb is completely built. Before being dropped on Japan, the bomb is exploded at a test site which Oppenheimer has named "Trinity." It is a complete success to the jubilation and horror of the huge scientific team. On seeing the successful explosion, Oppenheimer quotes a Hindu scripture: "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."
The author also describes the immense effort made by the Allies to destroy the German atomic program throughout World War II. These successful raids effectively stop the Nazi Regime from building an atomic bomb. Sheinkin then goes into elaborate description of Russia’s effective spy penetration of the Los Alamos Project. An American physicist, Theodore Hall and a German scientist, Klaus Fuchs both become spies for the Soviet Union and betray the United States. The author gives accounts of their treason in specific detail. But the story is so large that I can only encourage you to go to the library and check out this gripping book, "BOMB: The Race To Build and Steal The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon."
This book is an extremely interesting account of the race to build the atomic bomb. Since the current crisis over Iran building a nuclear bomb is so widely discussed, the story of the development of the first bomb is eerily pertinent. I give a warning to parents about this book as there is some profanity in the text. Most of these statements are direct quotes from President Harry Truman. He is still well known for his colorful and salty language. Having said that, this is an excellent book for junior high school students to study the controversies surrounding nuclear weapons.
