Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful, amazing, must see
Review: A very beautiful book presented as large prints, stunning photographs detail the very primal and mythological nature of the nuclear explosion. There is nothing to compare these photographs to in their grandness they make brilliant destructive weapons seem almost beautiful in their conception. An amazing work, the photos are large the way they should be and you will not find a similarly themed coffee table book anywhere. A true gem.Seth J. Frantzman
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, amazing, must see
Review: A very beautiful book presented as large prints, stunning photographs detail the very primal and mythological nature of the nuclear explosion. There is nothing to compare these photographs to in their grandness they make brilliant destructive weapons seem almost beautiful in their conception. An amazing work, the photos are large the way they should be and you will not find a similarly themed coffee table book anywhere. A true gem. Seth J. Frantzman
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, to say the least.
Review: A wonderful piece of work. The author thankfully did not over-politicize nuclear weapons or U.S. nuclear testing policys, and the reader is left with incredible pictures and factual commentary. The book does not so much tell a story as it presents for the reader a dangerous time in American history for reflection. Thankfully, we are still here to reflect on these ominous, but nonetheless beautiful pictures. I think perhaps John Foster Dulles has been vindicated.
Rating:
Summary: To change the nature of what it is to be human
Review: Andrei Sakharov once wrote that a very large nuclear war would be a calamity of indescribable proportions and absolutely unpredictable consequences, with the uncertainties tending toward the worse. As a university student I have collected over the years many dozens of nuclear test photographs and with each viewing, it is possible for a person to change. This collection of photographs is nothing short of beautiful, but at the same time horrifying in its capabilities. If you read through this book, you will not come out the same person.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I appreciate the nature of these images more having read Richard Rhodes' "Making of the Atomic Bomb" many years ago. Without a doubt, what is documented here is the overt potential for total global annihilation by nuclear hellfire, but what is also documented are the direct descendants of one of the most impressive scientific and engineering achievments of all time. Knowing that these images represent the ability to destroy on a massive scale, one might find it hard to divest themselves of their instinct to be horrified and shun these pictures, but if you can do so, I think you'll find a great collection of some of the most stark, eerie, organic and beautiful images of our recent secret history. The fact that these pictures were taken for documentation purposes, rather than those of art, makes the dichotomy between the beauty and the horror of this book even more apparent. Well worth the simoleons.
Rating:
Summary: Eerie, haunting, horrible and beautiful
Review: I appreciate the nature of these images more having read Richard Rhodes' "Making of the Atomic Bomb" many years ago. Without a doubt, what is documented here is the overt potential for total global annihilation by nuclear hellfire, but what is also documented are the direct descendants of one of the most impressive scientific and engineering achievments of all time. Knowing that these images represent the ability to destroy on a massive scale, one might find it hard to divest themselves of their instinct to be horrified and shun these pictures, but if you can do so, I think you'll find a great collection of some of the most stark, eerie, organic and beautiful images of our recent secret history. The fact that these pictures were taken for documentation purposes, rather than those of art, makes the dichotomy between the beauty and the horror of this book even more apparent. Well worth the simoleons.
Rating: 
Summary: somewhat disappointing
Review: I bought this book the instant I saw it on amazon.com. I couldn't wait to see it, but I was let down. There are 100 images and the book itself is a fine piece of workmanship. But if you've seen "Trinity and Beyond" or any of Peter Kuran's other works, there is nothing new here (in terms of the "kind" of material shown; obviously Kuran's works won't cover all of the same tests depicted in "100 Suns"). Frankly, many of the images included in "100 Suns" are indiscernable. Shapeless clouds, a blob of light, nothing in the foreground or background to give a frame of reference -- you just have to take someone's word for it that it is a photograph of a nuclear detonation. With few exceptions (noted below), all of the photographs are of the detonations themselves. You never get to see anything of the aftermath (craters or other devestation). There are a few pictures of troups and other things in the area during a test, but they are very few. Although I had very high hopes for this book, I must honestly say that only a small minority of the images are truely exceptional. Also, in my opinion, this is not the kind of book that you'll look at more than once or twice. Once you've seen the lesser-quality images in the book, you really won't be drawn back to them again. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're building a nuclear library of sorts -- to be sure, it would be a worthy addition. Otherwise, get anything by Peter Kuran (www.vce.com) or get Frank Shelton's "Reflections of a Nuclear Weaponeer". I'd even recommend "The Nevada Test Site: A Guide to America's Nuclear Proving Ground" over "100 Suns." You'd get so much more information out of it. If you don't have a lot of exposure to nuclear literature, you'll probably be impressed by "100 Suns". But if you aren't new to the subject, I think you'll be a little disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I couldn't put it down. The photos are excellent, the info in the back is captivating, and I hope there is never another nuclear explosion to photograph!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Photo Archive
Review: I received this as a surprise gift for my birthday this year, as I have a fascination with the history and science of nuclear weapons. If I had known about it, I probably would have purchased it myself. For those of you that like the feel of a solid book in your hands, "100 Suns" will not disappoint. The 208 pages contained within are high-quality, thick photo pages. Each photo is displayed over the entire page and are of excellent quality. There are no wordy descriptions written across the photos, or at the bottom of the pages. All information is noted in the rear of the book, where there are short descriptions of each bomb test that is documented in this book. A previous review stated that if you have seen "Trinity & Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie" that there is nothing new here. This is true in the respect that most of these tests are covered in that documentary. However, "100 Suns" allows you to examine the photos and reflect upon them in a way that film does not allow. Additionally, the book shows pictures of the people involved in the tests (soldiers and such), which is an aspect that the "Atomic Bomb Movie" does not tap into in depth. Overall, this is a great piece of photo history that will also fufill a role as an excellent coffee table book.
Rating:
Summary: nuclear explosions extravaganza!
Review: If,you like to see nuclear explosions like me,you will love this book,it has about a hundred color and black and white photos of nuclear detonations,on Nevada and on the Pacific islands,many of them suitable for framing.wow!
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