The Manhattan Project: America Makes the First Atomic Bomb

School Library Journal

Gr 10-12-- Few events have transformed the world as much as the Manhattan Project, which built the first atomic bomb. This book captures the spirit of those hectic and desperate days as it recounts the scientific, political, and military aspects of the project. Beyer puts the history into human terms--describing life at Los Alamos, outlining the conflicts between the scientists and the military, and illustrating the horror of nuclear war by quoting from John Hershey's classic novel Hiroshima . He completes the story by following the legacy of the project through the cold war to recent events in Eastern Europe. Beyer does a good job of picking and choosing which facts to present. The only omission is enough material to appreciate fully Robert Oppenheimer's central role and tragic downfall. For instance, there is no description of the rift that developed between him and fellow physicist Edward Teller. Nevertheless, this is an excellent historical introduction. An extensive bibliography points readers to further and more detailed accounts. --Alan Newman, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC