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The Making of the Atomic Bomb
 
 
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The Making of the Atomic Bomb (Paperback)

by Richard Rhodes (Author) "In London, where Southampton Row passes Russell Square, across from the British Museum in Bloomsbury, Leo Szilard waited irritably one gray Depression morning for the..." (more)
4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 928 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd; New edition edition (5 May 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0684813785
  • ISBN-13: 978-0684813783
  • Product Dimensions: 24.1 x 16.5 x 5.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 29,018 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > History > Military History > Weapons & Warfare > Nuclear
    #1 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Warfare & Defence > Weapons & Equipment > Nuclear Weapons
    #1 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Weapons > Atom Bomb

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Product Description

Review
"San Francisco Chronicle"A monumental and enthralling history...Alive and vibrant in the book are all the scientists...and each human being stands vividly revealed as a man of science, of conscience, of doubts or of hubris.

Product Description
The author recounts the story of how the atomic bomb was developed, from the discovery at the turn of century of the vast energy locked inside the atom, to the dropping of the first bombs on Japan during the Second World War.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
In London, where Southampton Row passes Russell Square, across from the British Museum in Bloomsbury, Leo Szilard waited irritably one gray Depression morning for the stoplight to change. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
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3 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Dazzling Light, 4 April 2005
Hard to add to the best reviews of this astonishing book. I'd normally struggle with an 800 page tome, but this had me riveted from beginning to end. Somehow, Richard Rhodes interweaves science, politics and the good old human ego in this tale of discovery, dedication, achievement and madness.

The sheer scale of the author's research is admirable enough, but the scale of that which he describes is vast. This is, in essence, how hard-won discoveries, often by brilliant individuals, gradually reveal the process of fission chain reaction, and how this knowledge is inevitably usurped by the military in a desperate, superhuman mobilisation of resources to create the first atomic bomb.

The book is more than the sum of its parts, which are grand enough. It touches on the human condition and how powerful we can be both as individuals and as dynamic, dedicated groups working towards a common goal. The goal here, terribly, is one of destruction, but the raw power of the bomb is mirrored in the controlled power of the writing and the hope that the author and contributors hold out for the wiser use of their terrifying 'gadget'.

Read it and be awed.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Giant of a Book, 15 Feb 2005
By "scribeoflight" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
There aren't many books that can claim to tell a story as important as the story related here, in Richard Rhodes' astounding history of an astounding sequence of scientific discoveries. His book, as attested to by the praise, lives up to the epic reality.

The first two thirds are the most interesting - the tale of the science, still new and very mysterious, becoming clearer gradually, often in tiny increments; and the tale of the scientists, who were moving civilisation towards something both magnificence and terrible. The final third is riveting, but can't match the thrilling story of the maturing of atomic theory and experiment.

Rhodes pulls everything into the book - conversations and recollections on the streets of London; commando missions to destroy heavy-water plants in Norway; descriptions of hikes up hills during which scientists discussed the next set of scientific possibilities; and intimate character portraits of not only the key players, but of anyone who in some way impacted upon the development of the bomb. Some may find the style so exhaustive as to be exhausting; but if you are patient, Rhodes will effortlessly show you whole worlds you would never otherwise have seen.

I can't recommend it highly enough.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Personalities, politics, technology, the first arms rac, 6 Dec 2002
By A Customer
A very readable account of the first realisation that a sustainable nuclear chain reaction was possible through to the use of nuclear bombs in the 2nd World War. This account was an eye opener that showed the fear felt by the allies that Hitler might beat them to the bomb. Before reading this book I had no idea why America had felt the need to use the bomb but the book reveals how the political momentum forced it's use.

I fascinating read which I found so intriguing that I went on to Rhodes next book "Dark Sun".

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A true story of innovation - theory to reality
This book was recommended as part of an Innovation Management course that I undertook.

If you can see beyond the history, and the politics there are a number of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Robert A. Carter

5.0 out of 5 stars The nuclear arms development bible
This is book is sincerley the most engaging and well-written non-fiction title I have ever read. Exceptionally well-researched, this book takes you from the beginnings of atomic... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Phil Gill

4.0 out of 5 stars A Blast
In 800 brain- and finger-crushing pages Richard Rhodes outlines everything you might ever want to know about the Bomb and some things you won't. Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2007 by Dogbertd

5.0 out of 5 stars A Magnificent Work!
This stunning piece of writing is a must for anyone with even passing interest in science and technology. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2006 by Martin Greenwood

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly phenomenal achievement, utterly compelling
The very best book I've ever read on the subject, that simple. The author well and truly deserved his Pulitzer Prize and the raft of other accolades he received for this book. Read more
Published on 28 Jul 2003 by Mr. K. Papas

5.0 out of 5 stars Explosive stuff
You'd imagine that this might be boring but the author mingles a lot of the scientific developments at time with the political developments, and the personalties involved. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2003 by Mc Adams

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best
This is such a fantastic book. Certainly in my top 10 books ever. Rhodes does an amazing job of keeping the pace going while pulling together a maze of personalities, politics,... Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2002 by J. Taylor

5.0 out of 5 stars NOT A BOHR AT ALL
The real message of this book seems to be escaping people, perhaps because there is no obvious excitement to it. Read more
Published on 26 Nov 2002 by DAVID BRYSON

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking
The most impressive non-fiction book I've ever read. Rhodes captures everything here, the personalties, the ethics and the physics. Don't be put off - it is very readable. Read more
Published on 21 Nov 2001 by stephen_devlin@hotmail.com

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly one of the best books on physics history.
I must admit to rarely coming across a better book. History, physics, human nature all wrapped into an engrossing and fundamentally disturbing tome. Read more
Published on 17 Jun 1999

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