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James A. Mahaffey
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Atomic Adventures – Secret Islands, Forgotten N–Rays, and Isotopic Murder: A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Science Hardcover – 28 Feb. 2020

by James Mahaffey (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 311 ratings
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Whether you are a scientist or a poet, pro-nuclear energy or staunch opponent, conspiracy theorist or pragmatist, James Mahaffey's books have served to open up the world of nuclear science like never before. With clear explanations of some of the most complex scientific endeavors in history, Mahaffey's new book looks back at the atom's wild, secretive past and then toward its potentially bright future.

Mahaffey unearths lost reactors on far flung Pacific islands and trees that were exposed to active fission that changed gender or bloomed in the dead of winter. He explains why we have nuclear submarines but not nuclear aircraft and why cold fusion doesn't exist. And who knew that radiation counting was once a fashionable trend? Though parts of the nuclear history might seem like a fiction mash-up, where cowboys somehow got a hold of a reactor, Mahaffey's vivid prose holds the reader in thrall of the infectious energy of scientific curiosity and ingenuity that may one day hold the key to solving our energy crisis or sending us to Mars.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1681774216
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1681774213
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Pegasus
  5. Publication date
    28 Feb. 2020
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    16.51 x 3.56 x 23.62 cm
  8. Print length
    464 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

"Alarming, thought-provoking, humorous, and always fascinating." --Publishers Weekly

"The compelling tales unravel like slow-motion horror stories spiraling towards disasters we know are coming." --Nature

About the Author

James Mahaffey was a senior research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute where he worked under contract for the Defense Nuclear Agency, the National Ground Intelligence Center, the Air Force Air Logistics Center, and Georgia Power Company. He is the author of Atomic Awakening and Atomic Accidents and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pegasus; 1st edition (28 Feb. 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1681774216
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1681774213
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 3.56 x 23.62 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 311 ratings

About the author

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James A. Mahaffey

James A. Mahaffey

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Dr. James Mahaffey (Jim) holds a bachelor of science in physics and master of science and doctoral degrees in nuclear engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. During a 25-year career at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), he directed or worked on projects for the U. S. Defense Nuclear Agency, the U. S. National Ground Intelligence Center, the U. S. Air Force Air Logistics Center, Georgia Power Company, and other government and private industrial organizations, in such areas as nuclear power, non-linear analysis, digital systems design, and cold fusion. He directed a multi-million-dollar project at Georgia Power's Plant Hatch to design and install a safety system after TMI. He left Georgia Tech to work in nanotechnology as Head of Advanced Research at Nanoventions Inc. in Roswell, Georgia, and later as Director of Technology for AIR2, a company with headquarters in Maryland. He is now a full-time writer and consultant. He has appeared on PBS NewsHour, on Georgia Public Broadcasting's "Georgia Weekly," and on numerous radio talk shows. Having lectured in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Ireland on various scientific topics related to his research, he is considered to be a skilled public speaker and is easy to understand, as well as entertaining.

Dr. Mahaffey's first book, ATOMIC AWAKENING: A NEW LOOK AT THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF NUCLEAR POWER (Pegasus Books, New York, July 2009), received wide critical acclaim. It has enjoyed worldwide sales, and is also available in Chinese translation (Shanghai Science and Technology Literature Publishing House, 2011).

In 2011, Facts on File published Dr. Mahaffey's six-volume reference set for high schools and colleges, on nuclear energy.

His second trade book, ATOMIC ACCIDENTS (Pegasus Books, New York) was released in February 2014, and received Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, positive reviews from Booklist and Nuclear Street, and was the lead book in a feature review in Nature. Both Scientific American Book Club and The History Book Club purchased rights to include the book as one of their selections.

His latest trade book, and the third in the nuclear series, ATOMIC ADVENTURES (Pegasus Books, New York) was released in June 2017. All three books have been translated into Japanese and are available as e-books. ADVENTURES received a favorable review in the Wall Street Journal as well as in other publications worldwide.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
311 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the content witty, informative, and humorous. They also describe the book as exceptionally readable.

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ContentHumorReadability
7 customers mention ‘Content’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's content informative, authoritative, and engaging.

"...his books hugely enjoyable to read as well as being excellent primers on the subjects covered...." Read more

"This book is a great read, full of good anecdotes and interesting facts...." Read more

"...Lots of detail and information that is missing from other more scientifically focused books." Read more

"Knew most of this stuff myself but very interesting and confirmed a lot of cold war stuff I had heard about in the service that may or may not have..." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Humor’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the humor in the book engaging. They also say the author's irreverent style is often humorous and carries the reader along.

"...And the book is fully of witty asides and observations.An excellent book which manages to both educate and amuse...." Read more

"...Alloyed with Mahaffey's easy style and excellent humour, the reader is eased through difficult concepts, emerging feeling much more intelligent and..." Read more

"Well researched and informative, written in an easy to read, often humorous style, by someone who has an intimate knowledge of his subject...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Readability’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book exceptionally readable, accessible, and easy to read. They also appreciate the author's easy style and excellent humour.

"...which is easily digestible by a lay person and the book is very accessible...." Read more

"...Alloyed with Mahaffey's easy style and excellent humour, the reader is eased through difficult concepts, emerging feeling much more intelligent and..." Read more

"Well researched and informative, written in an easy to read, often humorous style, by someone who has an intimate knowledge of his subject...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

J. J. Bradshaw
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and informative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2019
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For anyone not familiar with James Mahaffey, he is a physicist and nuclear engineer who is able to write on the subject in a way which mixes informative and insightful historical perspective with a rather dry wit which makes his books hugely enjoyable to read as well as being excellent primers on the subjects covered.

This book is part anecdote, part walk through the history of certain nuclear subjects and part educational effort to reassure people about the risks associated with dirty bombs. Perhaps the most interesting sections (for me at least) were the bits on cold fusion, many may not remember the cold fusion false dawn of the late 80's and I certainly wasn't aware of James Mahaffey's role in first appearing to repeat the initial experiment followed by making a retraction when a simple measurement error was identified. The author provides his own first hand account of the episode and considers the holy grail of nuclear fusion in an unusually level headed way. The book also takes a tour through AQ Khan's contribution to nuclear proliferation, nuclear aircraft and rocket engines, death rays, Argentina's contribution to the great hope of nuclear fusion and the Japanese atomic bomb program of WW2 amongst other topics. Perhaps one of the most interesting sections is on dirty bombs where the author provides a rational and balanced analysis of the potential of dirty bombs and the actual risks which challenges the hysteria shown by the general media on the subject. Mahaffey presents a compelling case that the principal adverse effects would most likely be psychological rather than physical.

Throughout the book the author provides information which is easily digestible by a lay person and the book is very accessible. The authors rather irreverent style is hugely engaging and just carries the reader along, the book is a joy to read. And the book is fully of witty asides and observations.

An excellent book which manages to both educate and amuse. Very highly recommended, 5*.
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Ian Turnbull
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 August 2017
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Interesting read
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Peter White
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun but random read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 January 2020
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This book is a great read, full of good anecdotes and interesting facts.

It's really very random - the chapters each have their own topics which can have little in common, the proof reading could be better (if you mention the Tokyo fire raid twice in passing in different chapters that's fine, but don't present different inconsistent statements!) and it jumps between personal stories, historical accounts, and descriptions of relevant nuclear physics. However, if you stop looking for a theme and just enjoy each chapter on its own merits, it's a great read for anybody with an interest in the topic, and I really enjoyed it.
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Michael Kaliski
5.0 out of 5 stars A collection of anecdotes from someone who has worked in the industry
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 May 2019
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A series of stories and anecdotes that reveals some of the more outlandish experiments and research carried out. The author's experience in the industry allows him to describe first hand looking into the heart of a nuclear reactor and debunks some of the myths about the danger of nuclear power. Lots of detail and information that is missing from other more scientifically focused books.
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Douglas W.
5.0 out of 5 stars A really good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 March 2020
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I really like the way that the author achieves a balance between telling a fascinating story with explaning how the physics actually works. The reader has to trust that he's telling the truth about the physics but I hope he is. Here's hoping for the next one James
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JONAH8208
3.0 out of 5 stars others it is nightmare and funny all rolled into one
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2017
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Knew most of this stuff myself but very interesting and confirmed a lot of cold war stuff I had heard about in the service that may or may not have been true, turns out even the wilder stuff was largely true. If you were a cold warrior this won't frighten you, others it is nightmare and funny all rolled into one.
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andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2021
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Very interesting for anyone that wants to learn more about Nuclear research in the fifties and sixties. The book is dedicated to Nuclear Research in the West.
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Ben Archibald
5.0 out of 5 stars An elegant, good humoured and accessible traipse through complex science.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 July 2017
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This is an authoritative and engaging narrative history of some of the most interesting and occasionally crazy adventures in big box physics. Alloyed with Mahaffey's easy style and excellent humour, the reader is eased through difficult concepts, emerging feeling much more intelligent and knowledgeable than he thought possible. This is stone-cold the best treatment of nuclear physics for the layman ever. Exceptionally readable.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Amaz-ing Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Well Written
Reviewed in Canada on 11 September 2018
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Absolutely recommend reading for anyone interested in nuclear energy, weaponry, or science.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling nuclear history
Reviewed in the United States on 20 June 2017
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Dr. Mahaffey’s latest book is characteristically witty, insightful, wide-ranging and entertaining. Atomic Adventures has enough captivating stories to supply the material for a dozen Hollywood screenplays.
If you haven’t read Dr. Mahaffey’s prior works, you should know that he is a gifted writer. He is least as skilled as Richard Rhodes (The Making of the Atomic Bomb) in explaining nuclear science to laymen in a way that is clear without being condescending. Dr. Mahffey provides the perfect amount of technical information. The reader will obtain an excellent understanding of nuclear technology without being bored by arcane details.
This is the most entertaining book in the trilogy. You need not have read the prior two books in order to appreciate this brilliant account of some of the most exhilarating episodes in the history of nuclear technology.
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marsha l. reid
4.0 out of 5 stars A book that both the generalist and the specialist will enjoy.
Reviewed in Canada on 31 December 2017
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James Mahaffey is an excellent story teller and he definitely knows what he is talking about. "Atomic Adventures" is aptly named as he covers a diverse range of topics - Cold fusion; why planes don't have nuclear generators (a serious research project in the 50s); why laser weapons are still in the realm of science fiction; nuclear proliferation and even ETs (he had interesting story about Roswell that sounds very plausible).

My favorite parts were the section on nuclear proliferation - and how one man is largely responsible for Pakistan having nuclear weapons and for kick starting the nuclear weapon programs of North Korea, Iran and Lybia. I also really enjoyed reading about Japan's efforts to develop a nuclear bomb during WW II, not something I had read before.

A book that both the generalist and the specialist will enjoy.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!
Reviewed in the United States on 10 November 2020
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I read a lot of books about the history of science and I will say that this is one of the most interesting I have come across. Most of the stories are new to me (N-rays? Argentinian fusion?). The author does a great job of providing you with background information (like how a Geiger Counter works, the set-up for his re-creation of the Pons/Fleischman fusion experiment). His explanation of quantum entanglement and how it could be used for faster than light communication is the clearest I've ever seen. His writing is clear, simple and funny. I LOVED this book and was sad to see it end.
2 people found this helpful
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Dr. D R Doty
5.0 out of 5 stars Nuclear Knowledge from the recent past
Reviewed in the United States on 15 February 2019
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Mahaffey has a truly amazing book packed with unique information. The Japanese effort to build the atomic bomb, the use of Lawrence’s cyclotron to get crucial nuclear information, Teller’s star war laser, the deuterium tritium reaction and controlled thermonuclear fusion are spun into stories so fascinating I doubted them at first. Having direct contact in many of these fields I realized his facts were correctly researched and put together. Just one example where he and I trod similar paths is the cold fusion experiment with heavy water, palladium cathodes and exotic neutron detectors. I had never read the why some strange mistakes were made and the physical processes that lead to incorrect concepts. The secret US sono-balloon experiments that were interpreted as little green men in flying saucers and why the government had to keep it covered up. He grew up on top of a large nuclear reactor that was lost to Jane Fonda, the China Syndrome and political pressure as was mine at UCLA during the Summer Olympics. Being a Professor in Nuclear Physics I find more information packed into these pages than any other single text. This has lured me into noting his other two texts of Atomic Accidents and Atomic Awakening. The later makes some statements on future directions in nuclear energy which I must seriously consider because of the truths found in Atomic Adventures. Prof ddd, CSUN
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Dr. D R Doty
5.0 out of 5 stars Nuclear Knowledge from the recent past
Reviewed in the United States on 15 February 2019
Mahaffey has a truly amazing book packed with unique information. The Japanese effort to build the atomic bomb, the use of Lawrence’s cyclotron to get crucial nuclear information, Teller’s star war laser, the deuterium tritium reaction and controlled thermonuclear fusion are spun into stories so fascinating I doubted them at first. Having direct contact in many of these fields I realized his facts were correctly researched and put together. Just one example where he and I trod similar paths is the cold fusion experiment with heavy water, palladium cathodes and exotic neutron detectors. I had never read the why some strange mistakes were made and the physical processes that lead to incorrect concepts. The secret US sono-balloon experiments that were interpreted as little green men in flying saucers and why the government had to keep it covered up. He grew up on top of a large nuclear reactor that was lost to Jane Fonda, the China Syndrome and political pressure as was mine at UCLA during the Summer Olympics. Being a Professor in Nuclear Physics I find more information packed into these pages than any other single text. This has lured me into noting his other two texts of Atomic Accidents and Atomic Awakening. The later makes some statements on future directions in nuclear energy which I must seriously consider because of the truths found in Atomic Adventures. Prof ddd, CSUN
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