The Manhattan Project

Starred review from December 31, 2007
More than 60 years since WWII was ended by two atomic detonations, the Manhattan Project that made them possible still carries iconic weight, both as an incredible achievement of science and engineering and as the opening salvo in the nuclear arms race. This collection of essays, including excerpts from 45 books and almost twice as many articles, is more than worthy of its subject. The basic science behind the project is detailed in a number of lively accounts by scientists who worked on it; they also recount the lighter side of the experience, including the characters they worked alongside and the camaraderie among them. In-depth analysis of policy and ethical issues take on the justification for Truman's decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki (with fine examples from both sides of the argument) and the still urgent need for global arms control (as argued in a 2007 Wall Street Journal
article by Henry Kissinger et al.). With a comprehensive reach (going as far back as 1934 to find a charming story on Oppenheimer, “The Absentminded Professorâ€), Kelly, president of the Atomic Heritage Foundation and an experienced editor (Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project
) does a masterful job covering all aspects of the world-changing enterprise and its legacy.

Starred review from September 3, 2007
More than 60 years since WWII was ended by two atomic detonations, the Manhattan Project that made them possible still carries iconic weight, both as an incredible achievement of science and engineering and as the opening salvo in the nuclear arms race. This collection of essays, including excerpts from 45 books and almost twice as many articles, is more than worthy of its subject. The basic science behind the project is detailed in a number of lively accounts by scientists who worked on it; they also recount the lighter side of the experience, including the characters they worked alongside and the camaraderie among them. In-depth analysis of policy and ethical issues take on the justification for Truman's decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki (with fine examples from both sides of the argument) and the still-urgent need for global arms control (as argued in a 2007 Wall Street Journal article by Henry Kissinger et al). With a comprehensive reach (going as far back as 1934 to find a charming story on Oppenheimer, "The Absentminded Professor"), Kelly, president of the Atomic Heritage Foundation and an experienced editor (Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project) does a masterful job covering all aspects of the world-changing enterprise and its legacy.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2007
The atom bomb, writes composer John Adams, is the ultimate American myth. The historical substance behind that myth comes into view in this anthology, combining the direct observations of the scientists, generals, and political leaders who made the bomb with the reflections of the historians, artists, and writers who have since struggled to understand its epoch-making implications. Dozens of selectionsorganized into nine thematic sectionsallow readers to appreciate the genius of the Manhattan physicists, who surmounted daunting difficulties with astonishing speed. But these selections also illuminate the vexing questions still surrounding the American decision to drop the bomb on Japan. A truly tragic gap separates the accounts of joyous scientists celebrating their triumph when the first atom bomb exploded over New Mexico from the nightmarish descriptions of charred human bundles strewing the rubble of Hiroshima. Deeply sobering, the catalog of suffering inflicted by the nuclear strikes of 1945 lends urgency to the concluding selections from statesmen and philosophers exploring possible paths to disarmament. An essential resource for serious readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)