The Making of the Atomic Bomb

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Summary: History you never learned in School
Review: This has to be about the best book I read in the last 5 years. It gives you a complete history of physics from the beginning of the 20th century until WWII. Then it goes into the second half with the building of the bomb and why it was such a big project. It was interesting to find out how competative these guys were with each other. The stories of Curtis LeMay were interesting and the comparison of the bomb destruction to conventional bombing. The pictures are interesting in the center of the book. This book more than any other got me interested in atomic power. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the 20th century.

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Summary: The Standard Text for the History of Modern Science.
Review: Rhodes' compilation of many narratives and correspondence between a who's who of the world's scientists is superbly written. One gets caught up in the past, caught in the race for discovery. Not only to discover the "bomb," but also the foundations of science as we know it today. Understanding much of the implications of these discoveries does require a familiarity with pyhsics, but to a student of physics such as myself, these great men cease to be pictures in a book or names of theories. They become people. Reading this shows that these geniuses had the same blood flowing through them as everybody else. It is an inspiration. However, it also shows the dark side of technology-with the depression that followed many of these guys around. It is a great read-tough a LONG one-and is more than worth every penny.

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Summary: How history books should be written
Review: In the hands of lesser authors, even the most interesting periods of history turn into dusty, academic recitations that are literary sedatives. Rhodes' work, on the other hand, is a scintillating read dealing with one of the truly seminal developments in world history. Rich in detail and crackling with drama, it's everything a history book should be.

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Summary: Outstanding
Review: This was a fascinating book! It really "humanized" the legendary names that you always hear tell about in your school science classes. I personally enjoyed the second half of the book the most, ie: the part dealing more with the mechanics and engineering of the actual devices and their use. Horrifying and awe-inspiring together. A lot of depth without ever getting into overly technical details; a perfect balance.

This book motivated me to also purchase from Amazon two DVD collections, "Atomic Bomb Collection" and "The World At War - Complete Set", plus the book "The Los Alamos Primer: The First Lectures on How to Build an Atomic Bomb".

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Summary: This book takes patience
Review: But is worth the effort. Although I enjoyed it from the first it wasn't until about halfway through that I became engrossed. What seemed rambling and tangential in the beginning gelled into startling focus and came together to become a literary masterpiece. This book tells two stories. The first is the story of physics. Rhodes weaves a fascinating portrait of the master/apprentice world of physics at the turn of the century. At this time there were only about 1000 physicists in the entire world, as Rhodes points out. The second part was a thorough history of the atom bomb ending with the bombings in Japan. And Curtis LeMay was one scary dude!

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Summary: Two very enthusiastic thumbs up
Review: Book is based on historical notes yet it reads like a novel. Its thickness was scary at first, but once i started reading i found it very captivating. I think it will be equally captivting for the non-scientist (though science knowledge helps make the book better).

The author starts out with history of science, specifically the development of nuclear physics and chemistry, and quantum mechanics during the beginning of the 20th century. Besides explaining the scientific research of the scientists involved, the author gives a good deal of info about the daily lives of these scientists, their family backgrounds and their philosophy of life, and how all these came together to shape their research. The science part is well written and very readable. Towards the middle of the book, everything starts getting tied nicely into the making of the bomb.

I was struck by how the dropping of one bomb (well ok 2 bombs) changed (shaped) all of human history and politics afterwards.

Another point that struck me was that a large percentage of the key players were jewish european scientists that were forced to flee to america during the rule of the third reich. I was left with the impression that anti-semitism in germany and other parts of europe before and during the war fueled the development of the united states, with the migration of all these scientists, into the world power it has become.

I found that the title of the book might be misleading. One does not get to the atomic bomb until after a lengthy reading of the scientists involved and even scientists before them (not that I'm complaining). Every scientist is described in detail, though Niels Bohr is definately the main character who keeps popping up. I was amazed throughout the book at how much information the author has compiled. Its a must-have for the history of science enthusiast. I see that a few of the reviewers have complained of superfluous info and that the author could have achieved the same conclusion without all the minute details of every scientist. Well for you I recommend Emilio Segre's book "from x-ray's to Quarks" However this book has nothing to do with the atomic bomb. It is a shorter version of the first part of the book that deals with the development of quantum mechanics.

Definately a book that should be enjoyed more than once (rhodes, if you are writing a similar book, i wish that you add more photos this time).

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Summary: tongues of fire
Review: if u don't have time to read the whole book, just read the chapter 'tongues of fire'. it really made me cry. i enjoy the whole book a lot. this is the only one 800-page book i can finish in 2 days.

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Summary: Good science and a great story
Review: I had a great time reading this book. Content aside, Rhodes is a great writer. That he has written (approximately) equal amounts of fiction and nonfiction shows in his concise and entertaining style.

In my opinion, what makes this book such fun to read is that it's as much an incredible story as it is a book about a scientific achievment. Of course, Rhodes' science is well-researched, throrough, and is described in a clear and understandable matter. When the science is known publicly, he describes it accurately and concisely. When it's still classified, he takes his best guess. But the best thing about this book is the captivating story of the scientists who (directly or indirectly) contributed to the making of the atomic bomb. Beginning around the turn of the century and ending well after the end of WWII, Rhodes does a wonderful job of describing the lives and accomplishments of every player in the development of nuclear physics, from J.J Johnson to Edward Teller. Two biographies, one personal and one scientific, are given for most of the major scientists in the book. The reader gets a rich sense of the dynamic and personal nature of prewar physics, when Physical Review was an obscure journal, German was only beginning to fade as the lingua franca of science, and discoveries were frantically circulated via post among a small community of brilliant people. One gets the feeling that the story of these scientists, individually and as a group, captivated Rhodes as much as the history of the actual Manhattan Project. Indeed, the Manhattan Project is not mentioned until page 400 or so. In my opinion, that is a very good thing.

I haven't read other histories of the making of the atomic bomb, so I can't compare Rhodes' book with them. However, I think the fact that Rhodes is a historian (and was not involved in the Manhattan Project) is what gives the book much of its strength. The book is filled with tales of the obstinacy of the military and the high-mindedness and elitism of (some of) the scientists told by a dispassionate narrator. I doubt such tales (or at least both kinds of tales) would show up in an eyewitness account, such as Groves' "Now It Cam Be Told".

Overall, an excellent book.

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Summary: A Staggering Achievement: 5 Stars Is Too Few
Review: This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. It is so brilliantly conceived and carefully organized as to restore your faith in the human intellect to make lucid sense of our lives. Where to begin?... It is masterful in scientific history, character sketches, military drama. Some books feel longer than they are because they are boring. This one feels longer than it is because it is so incomparably rich. It offers a lucid, step-by-step account of the evolution of modern physics all the way back to Rutherford and even a bit earlier. This in itself is so fascinating and clear as already to deserve a prize for the author. But he's really just warming the reader up, just preparing the reader for the organizational and military drama that follows. Oppenheimer is brought vividly to life as a person and scientist, as are Leo Szilard, Enrico Fermi, Niels Bohr, and dozens of other central figures. Then there are the wonderful fringe characters on the edges of the story, like the young Richard Feynman. However long it takes you to read this book --3 torrid days, 6 days, 4 weeks-- you will remember the experience as a kind of era in your life. In fact, just writing this review makes me want to start the book again. Rhodes gives us the reading experience at its best: once you start this engrossing book, it will become the top priority in your life until you are finished.

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Summary: It's out there! The race is on!
Review: This is not a book about the how to make an atomic bomb. It is a book about the making of the atomic bomb.

You should read this book if you want to know about the scientists, their researches, and events contributing to the making of the bomb.

You should read this book if you are a physicist or a chemist because it will enrich what you have learned in school.