Bomb: The Race To Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
CATEGORY: REQUIREDBomb is the story of the atomic bomb, from its origins with the discovery of fission in Germany to the building of the first bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico by Robert Oppenheimer, to the stealing of the bomb designs by Soviet Union KGB agents. The history is written in narrative format, with several interwoven narratives of people involved in the race to build the atomic bomb. Sheinkin, a former textbook writer, uses his supreme historical writing skills to create a book that is both highly informational and exciting. While I knew the outcome of the atomic bomb from history classes, I did not know the history behind it, and Sheinkin does a good job of including all of the details pertaining to the building of the bomb. Sheinkin ends the book on an interesting note with a warning that we are all a part of this arms race now, and what was done in the past cannot be undone. It seems out of place with the rest of the book, because it seems to take on Sheinkin’s opinion rather than the facts he was reporting throughout the book. It was foreboding and a little scary, and the switch in tone bothered me. Otherwise, I thought it was an excellent book, and I learned a lot from it. I think readers ages 14-18 would be interested in this book. Sheinkin, S. (2012). Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World’s most dangerous weapon. New York: Roaring Brook Press2013 Newbery Honor/nonfiction This book intrigued me, as I have always been interested in the Manhattan Project. This book did not disappoint as the use of spies, physicist, and secrets are introduced in a non-fiction book that is just as gripping as any fictional work. The plot does move around in time frames, but is easy to follow. The author uses many things such as quotes and a few pictures to strengthen the book. The book also goes into the story of how some of the plans were smuggled to the Soviets, and the use of the first atomic bomb by the United States. This would be a great book for independent reading or to use as a literature integration in a history class. Any one who like history or is intrigued by the events of the Manhattan Project will enjoy this book.
What do You think about Bomb: The Race To Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (2012)?
