Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

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Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 1,721 ratings · 509 reviews

In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind ene...more

Hardcover, 266 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Flash Point

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The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Newbery 2013

13th out of 95 books — 697 voters

Mock Printz 2013

19th out of 75 books — 296 voters

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Jun 12, 2013 Laima rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reading-challenge, hpl

I picked up this book at the library and it sat around the house for a couple of weeks before I even opened it, but when I did, I couldn’t put it down. Wow!! Frightening, suspenseful and bone chillingly real, it captured my attention immediately.

The building of the first atomic bomb is explained from the discovery of atomic energy and key scientists involved to the eventual design, building, testing and detonation of this powerful weapon. Along the way we have espionage, spies, counter intellig...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Philip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, favorites, young-adult

Read this book. It's been a long time since I've recommended a book to everyone and anyone - but I'm recommending this one to you. YOU!

Look, I understand if you're an adult - and you're a little embarrassed to go into the young adult (ok, ok... Children's... yes I found this in the CHILDREN'S) section of the book store (or library) and pick up a non-fiction book. I get that. But it's worth it.

*Dear Publishing Companies:

You can make a TON of money if you market this book to adults. A TON. This i...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: informational, level-elementary

4/26/13 ** Wow! This is history, but told with a strong narrative voice and attention to the quirks, strengths, and foibles of the characters involved. The book essentially follows three story lines - the Americans' and Germans' races to build an atomic bomb during WWII and the Russians attempt to steal the plans.

Sheinkin meticulously researched the events, includes quotes from the people involved, and weaves the details into a compelling whole. This book was a National Book Award finalist and r...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Kristine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kristine by: Battle of the Books 2012

Shelves: non-fic, newbery-mock-reads, childrens-chapter, ww2-holocaust

Move over, John Grisham (? or Robert Ludlum?), this is a compelling spy story at it's finest. The best part? It's all true!

I'm flabbergasted by the sheer amount of work and research it took for Sheinkin to weave the tales of the US racing to build an atom bomb, the Soviets' attempt to steal it, and the efforts to destroy Germany's bomb program, and do it in such a way that it reads like such a compelling narrative I feel as if I'm there. I read an interview where he described the process of recr...more Move over, John Grisham (? or Robert Ludlum?), this is a compelling spy story at it's finest. The best part? It's all true!

I'm flabbergasted by the sheer amount of work and research it took for Sheinkin to weave the tales of the US racing to build an atom bomb, the Soviets' attempt to steal it, and the efforts to destroy Germany's bomb program, and do it in such a way that it reads like such a compelling narrative I feel as if I'm there. I read an interview where he described the process of recreating a scene, one that others had maligned the details as impossible to know. I believe it was the scene with FDR and Churchill getting picked up at the airport and people were saying he was making up that someone was glistening with sweat or one was smoking a cigar and what they talked about in the car. Sheinkin described how he recreated just that one scene from about a dozen primary and secondary sources that sited the sweat, cigars, and exactly what was said. Amazing.

Another thing that occurred to me is that so much of the spywork and clandestine operations that stole the plan hinged a lot on seeming amateurs. My hope is that technology means the wool can't be pulled over our eyes quite as easily. Also surprising, the prevalence of communists and how easily US citizens passed things to the Soviets without batting an eye. A little peek into the precursor of the Red Scare and McCarthyism. People really were scared their neighbors were enemies - because this story shows how many average joes were.

One of my elementary classmate's grandpa (I know what a connection) was Bob Caron, the photographer on the Enola Gay and took the famous photograph of the Hiroshima mushroom cloud. I remember him coming to our school to speak. Ahhh-mazing. Cool to see these different stories match up to make a more complete picture. Especially after reading Unbroken last year.

I love reading NF US history books - there is so much I don't know about our own country and our past. I wish I had read this before I drove through all these same towns in New Mexico and known the significance they have in our world's history.

A+++

(I now feel I must read all of Sheinkin's work, what other awesome things have I been missing?)(less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Brandy Painter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-nonfiction, middle-grade, young-adult

Wow. Wow. Wow. I am in awe of what Sheinkin did with this. This book is everything a good non-fiction should be. It is well researched, well documented, and the information is presented in a way that forces the reader to draw their own conclusions, all things excellent non-fiction does.

BUT THEN it is also everything a good novel should be. Intense, enthralling, suspenseful, and complete with a tragic hero.

The book tells the story of the building of the atomic bomb: the research, the process, th...more Wow. Wow. Wow. I am in awe of what Sheinkin did with this. This book is everything a good non-fiction should be. It is well researched, well documented, and the information is presented in a way that forces the reader to draw their own conclusions, all things excellent non-fiction does.

BUT THEN it is also everything a good novel should be. Intense, enthralling, suspenseful, and complete with a tragic hero.

The book tells the story of the building of the atomic bomb: the research, the process, the scientists, the espionage, the outcome. All of it in 236 extremely interesting pages. Extremely. Sheinkin does this by doling out his knowledge slowly, only giving the reader exactly as much information as is needed at any given moment. He chooses his quotes and sets up his scenarios to build exactly the right amount of tension for the scene he is unfolding. One example being the countdown to the Trinity test:
Groves lay on the ground ina separate bunker, his eyes facing away from the blast site. "As we approached the final minute, the quiet grew more intense," he remembered. "I thought only of what I would do if, when the countdown got to zero,nothing happened."
"Zero minus one minute."
"As the time interval grew smaller and changed from minutes to seconds the tension increased by leaps and bounds," recalled General Farrell.
Unable to stay still a moment longer, George Kistiakowsky jumped up and ran to the top of the bomb shelter. "I put on dark glasses and turned away from the tower," he said. "I didn't think anything would happen to me."
"Zero minus ten seconds, nine, eight, seven..."
Oppenheimer lay on the ground in the bunker. His brother Frank lay on one side of him, General Farrell on the other.
"We were lying there, very tense, in the early dawn," said Isidor Rabi. "You could see your neighbor very dimly. Those ten seconds were the longest ten seconds that I ever experienced."
"Four, three, two..."
"Oppenheimer, on whom had rested a very heavy burden, grew tenser as the last seconds ticked off," remembered Farrell. "He scarcely breathed. He held on to a post to steady himself. For the last few seconds he stared directly ahead."
Allison shouted, "Zero!"

The story is framed, ending with the same line with which it began: He had a few more minutes to destroy seventeen years of evidence.

The narrative is particularly gripping because Sheinkin chose to tell not only the story of the creation of the bomb, but all of the cloak and dagger maneuvers happening around the world to keep others from doing the same. Through this large picture story the reader is able to see at how many moments the slightest difference in one person's actions or people placed where they were could have changed the course of events. Sheinkin has tight control over his narrative from start to finish and the result is a truly powerful story.(less)

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Feb 09, 2013 bjneary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, history, kindle, nonfiction, psla-2013, ya

Beginning with the spy Harry Gold and expanding out to Germany, Great Britain, Norway, the Soviets and U.S. secret location of Los Almos, Bomb is a wild ride as the race to build the first atomic bomb is waged. Sheinkin provides interesting, exciting, detailed research, primary sources, photographs, and delivers a riveting heart pounding, page turner. This nonfiction title about the creation of the hydrogen bomb, has so many important characters that bear mentioning: Robert Oppenheimer, Tony Hal...more

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May 25, 2013 Quinby6696 Frank rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow - what a fascinating book! It reads like a spy novel from the young Norwegians who climbed unbelievable cliffs under the eyes of the Nazis to destroy a German heavy water plant to delay German atomic bomb development to individual scientists at Los Alamos passing atomic secrets to the Soviets using various tradecraft (spying) tricks - to Truman's decision to use the bomb on the Japanese and on and on ...This book is truly gripping. I certainly never knew that a different Japanese city was th...more

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May 19, 2013 April Helms rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, history, nonfiction, young-adult

An excellent read, good for older grade school and up. This covers the process, intrigues and espionage connected with the construction of the atom bomb. It's a quick read, with several pictures of the people involved, from Robert Oppenheimer, the "Father of the Atomic Bomb" to senator (later president) Harry Truman, to the Norwegian resistance fighters to spy Klaus Fuchs. There is a lot of history and technical information, but I found everything easy to follow and understand. the technical asp...more

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May 12, 2013 Kaycee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon is a really in-depth look at what it took to build the atomic bomb during World War II. It not only goes through all of the steps, but it gives an accurate portrayal of the feelings and the atmosphere at the time. The constant worry the American builders had that the Germans were going to get the bomb first. It doesn't only stick with the scientific aspects but goes into all the spying and the sabotage that went on at the time...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Christy Rosso rated it 5 of 5 stars

Christy Rosso
Genre: Nonfiction
Sheinkin, S. (2012). Bomb : the race to build and steal the world's most dangerous weapon. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Format: Print
Selection process: YALSA
http://www.ala.org/yalsa
Awards: YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction 2013, Nation Book Award Finalist, Newbery Honor Book, Robert F. Siebert Winner, Washington Post Best Kids Book of the Year 2012, National Science Teacher's Association-CBC, Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children.
The lives of the s...more Christy Rosso
Genre: Nonfiction
Sheinkin, S. (2012). Bomb : the race to build and steal the world's most dangerous weapon. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Format: Print
Selection process: YALSA
http://www.ala.org/yalsa
Awards: YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction 2013, Nation Book Award Finalist, Newbery Honor Book, Robert F. Siebert Winner, Washington Post Best Kids Book of the Year 2012, National Science Teacher's Association-CBC, Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children.
The lives of the scientists and the events in the making of the atomic bomb became a thrilling adventure story in the hands of author Steve Sheinkin. Ted Hall, 18-year-old Harvard physics student, brought him to the story of the making of the atomic bomb, Sheinkin observed (n.d.). Ironically, chosen to work at Los Alamos with uranium and plutonium bombs, Ted Hall was a spy who became instrumental in giving our secrets about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union (Sheinkin, 2012).
Once physicists realized that uranium atoms could be split, and the news spread rapidly through the scientific community, it became apparent that the resulting force could create a powerful bomb. Robert Oppenheimer and other scientists were drawn into a race to develop the atomic bomb, according to Sheinkin (2012). Oppenhimer was charged with running the Manhattan Project, under the direction of engineer Leslie Groves, and many top physicists were recruited in the effort. Aspects of the bomb project were ongoing in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Hanford, Washington, and in other secret locations, eventually employing more than 300,000 (Sheinkin, 2012). Sheinkin developed an intense and interesting narrative of Oppenheimer’s teams’ efforts to create fission at Los Alamos. The author wove into the story the personalities of famed scientists Feynman, Fermi, Serber, and others who worked with “Oppie” (Sheinkin, 2012).
While Oppenheimer’s scientists began the research to develop the bomb, in Europe there were anti-Hitler operatives at work. Sheinkin described Norwegian Knut Haukelid’s leadership of a team of resistance fighters in a dangerous mission to destroy the heavy water plant in German-held Vemork, Norway. As heavy water was a primary ingredient in producing fission, it was an imperative move to stop Germany from making atomic bombs, Sheinkin explained. Once the plant was destroyed, members of the same team acted again to blow up a train carrying shipments of the water en route to Germany, Sheinkin reported (2012).
Spies were prevalent in Sheinkin’s story. Scientists Ted Hall, Harry Gold, and Klaus Fuchs worked as spies for the KGB, giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union, according to Sheinkin (2012) who described elaborate plots in which they worked alongside American scientists, yet met in secret to pass plans for the atomic bomb.
Paul Tibbetts was the pilot who was chosen to fly the plane carrying the first atomic bomb. Sheinkin described the training process that he and his crew underwent, as well as the actual flight of the Enola Gay, Tibbetts’ airplane, and the effects of its aftermath on Hiroshima. Following the ending of the war with the bombing of Nagasaki, Sheinkin (2012) concluded the story with the capture of the spies, and a summary of the arms race.
Highly recommend.
References
Sheinkin, S. (n.d.) Bomb : the race to build and steal the world's most dangerous weapon. [Meet the author book reading]. Retrieved from http://www.teachingbooks.net
Sheinkin, S. (2012). Bomb : the race to build and steal the world's most dangerous weapon. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

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Apr 26, 2013 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, newbery-project

2013 Newbery Honor Book

I have to say that the non fiction books I've read on the Newbery booklist have really changed my perspective on non fiction books. It seems that some authors actually take pains to make history interesting. At least I've noticed this with some of the newer non fiction books. We'll see if it holds true when I read some of the older non fictions on the Newbery list.

This was a very interesting look at the history surrounding the atomic bomb. Not only did he look at the profi...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up because I was looking for something to read with my 7-year-old son. This wasn't it--the topic is a bit too grown-up for him to handle right now. But I read it anyway. Actually, once I had started it, I couldn't HELP but read it. I didn't think I would be interested because physics and explosives are not great interests of mine, but humans are. And despite its title, it's the humans that this book is really about. Amid all the excitement and explosions and secrets are subterfuge,...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Tim Vandenberg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Yes, this is a 5-star book, like everyone else says. Yes, this book deserves every award & honor it's earned. And....YES, I am also *glad* this book did *NOT* win the Newbery......Shocker Statement? Yes.

While every aspect of "Bomb" is depressing, that's only because it is honest. Yet, its major flaw is that it offers no hope...at all.

World War II, lots of people dying, the fate of the world at stake? Check.

Russian Spies infiltrating the VERY highest levels of Manhattan Project circles? Chec...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Chris Murray rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, mystery, non-fiction, ya

Summary: (Amazon.com)
In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scie...more

Summary: (Amazon.com)
In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.

My Comments:
Everybody learns about World War II in school but this is a behind the scenes look about the discovery of nuclear power and how it was first used as a weapon of war. Many of the details presented here are not in history books, and Sheinken does a good job in engaging the reader with his details of the time period.

There is just enough science in the book to educate the reader about atomic energy without overwhelming those not scientifically inclined.

This book has won several awards and has received many positive reviews. Personally, I didn’t care much for it. There were too many characters for me to keep track of, and for many of them, I was not very interested in their particular story. There were two things that I thought were particularly noteworthy about the story itself. When scientists discovered the reaction of splitting atoms, their first through was to use it for destructive purposes. Secondly, when Allied forces finally gained access to German laboratories at the end of the war, they were surprised to find that German scientists were far behind the Americans in developing atomic power.

With everything that’s going on in the world today, The Bomb is certainly a timely and appropriate read for junior high and up. The writing and the content is definitely geared toward an older audience. At less than 250 pages, it is a relatively short read, and black and white photos of the key players are presented in a collage format at the beginning of each chapter. Source notes, quotation notes and an index are at the end of the book.
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Apr 18, 2013 Barb Middleton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, nonfiction-narrative, ya

When Harry Gold heard FBI agents knocking on his door, he scrambled to flush evidence of his treasonous actions down the toilet, but when they examined his office, and the map spilled on the floor, he knew the spy game was up. Thus begins this true story of the building of the atomic bomb. Stop right there. Time out. Imagine ear-piercing weather sirens giving you a split second warning before your body gets sucked (hands first) into the inky black vortex of an oncoming tornado. Don't say I didn'...more When Harry Gold heard FBI agents knocking on his door, he scrambled to flush evidence of his treasonous actions down the toilet, but when they examined his office, and the map spilled on the floor, he knew the spy game was up. Thus begins this true story of the building of the atomic bomb. Stop right there. Time out. Imagine ear-piercing weather sirens giving you a split second warning before your body gets sucked (hands first) into the inky black vortex of an oncoming tornado. Don't say I didn't warn you! Books like these make me walk and read at the same time; falling down steps, walking into trees, and burning every meal that requires a flip of a burner switch. A tornado could come and I wouldn't even know it - nada, zippo, zilch.

Nothing like a bit of melodrama to jack up a review, don't you know. Not that this book is melodramatic. Shoot we are dealing with physicists. Oppenheimer is such a dippo that he goes on a date with a girl, parks the car with her, tells her he is going for a walk and completely forgets her in his car. She calls the police thinking something has happened to him and they find Oppie asleep in his bed at home. He explains that he forgot about her while contemplating theoretical physics. Uff da, and I thought my brain was scattered. Trust me, this is just one of many delicious details you'll eat up in this nonfiction story.

My journalism side admires Steve Sheinkin's creative use of quotations mixed with descriptive writing to create a strong sense of suspense and characterization. The description of Carl Eifler gives a clear picture of the character, "The thirty-seven-year-old Eifler already had a reputation for reckless bravery. Wounded by flying metal scraps earlier in the war, he'd pull out his pockektnife and dug the steel from his thigh. His idea of fun was to shoot cigarettes out of his friends' mouths." On his way to the CIA headquarters, Eifler spots a lawyer who once criticized him in a report and he "seized him by his jacket, lifted him off the floor, and smacked his back into the wall. Eifler leaned in close, glaring in the man's eyes. 'Listen, you son of a bitch,' he growled. 'If you ever interfere in my activities again, I'll kill you.' Eifler set the lawyer down, turned, and walked to his meeting. Eifler is then given the assignment to kidnap a top German physicist and escape to Switzerland. He asks the CIA officer what his orders are if the Swiss police capture him and the German. "'Very simple, Colonel,' said Buxton [CIA]. 'You are to deny Germany the use of his brain.' 'The only way to do that is to kill him,' said Eifler. 'So I kill him, and the Swiss police arrest me - what then?' 'Then we've never heard of you.'" Chalk this up as one of many "Mission Impossibles" planted in this nonfiction text that hit me like typhoon debris. Shucks, Sheinkin has such an extensive list of source quotes in the appendixes (this came from the book, "The Deadliest Colonel," by Thomas Moon and Carl Eifler) that I wanted to scream, "Ahhhh...stop it!" Stop giving me more books to add to my already bottomless book list that itches like an irritated mosquito bite.

The intertwined plot shows the Germans, Americans, and Soviets racing to build the bomb. Subplots such as the heavy water needed by the Germans to build the bomb and the Russians as tentative allies who like to steal from the Americans, are just a few elements that help build uncertainty and suspense. Bomb-making is not in my knowledge database and the author makes the fare anything but boring. The suspenseful description of scientists creating a chemical chain reaction with uranium on a cold day in a stadium, reveals the danger and tension as the silent crowd listens to the clickety-clack of the neutron counter hoping they can stop the reaction and not blow up Chicago. The chapter ends on the suspenseful question of one scientist thinking to herself, "When do we get as scared as we ought to?" These fictional elements elevate this book from what could be a dry expository text to a narrative, fast-paced read. Add to that the author's clarity in explaining the physics of building an atomic bomb and not once did my eyes cross or get glossy.

While reading I did have questions that came up. I wondered if the Germans did anything to Knut Haukelid's tough mother, how the radiation affected people on the project and those living around the town, what Oppenheimer did after being forced out, how does the gun assembly work, how did the absent-minded Oppenheimer find a wife and have an affair, and more. I don't see this as a flaw. It is good to have more questions and Sheinkin cannot possibly answer them all. Plus, it would sidetrack the book and would have steered it toward an older audience. Sheinkin wisely sticks to his overall message of the moral issues and political intrigue. Is it right to build a weapon that can destroy the human species? He shows that even the physicists who worked on bomb questioned what they had done at the end. Oppenheimer, in particular, had horrible doubts about this weapon of mass destruction. Even the double-agents who could easily have been one-dimensional villains are multifaceted. I was surprised to feel sympathy for the physicists and double-agents, even though I didn't agree with their actions. This type of character development is not one I expect in a nonfiction book and I appreciated Sheinkin's attempt to create such well-rounded characters. Not to mention the sober punch in the arm ending that details how many countries now have nuclear weapons and how easily humans can destroy the planet if a nuclear war breaks out.

A little two year old is torpedoing through the library yelling, "Jie Jie! JieJie!" over and over in Chinese causing a ruckus. Mom is a short distance behind but she can't seem to catch the little roadrunner. It sounds like "Gee Gee" and the celebratory ring suits my mood after reading this book. I have half a mind to join her sprint chanting, "Read! Read!" (less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-booktalks

This one is something that sounds like it’s straight out of a movie – spies, dictators, military commandos, FBI raids. Except it’s real.
Let’s start with a few key players: Robert Oppenheimer – a tall, shy kid who was completely comfortable speaking Latin and correcting his Physics professor.
Otto Hahn: a German chemist who wondered – what happens when a speeding neutron crashes into a uranium atom? He sure found out: The force of the collision caused the uranium atoms to split in two.
Hahn contac...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Ryan J rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book "Bomb" by Steven Sheinkin was a book about the race to build the world's most powerful weapon. Throughout the book there were many historical referrals to figures like President Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, and many more. The story begins with the discovery of fission, which is the splitting of atoms and the release of energy that occurs when the atoms split. The book continues with various tests and the creation of the atom bomb, with a lot of other things happening...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Philip T rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bomb: The Race to Build-And Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin,was an extremely exciting and well-written book.Sheinkin gives the book a fictional feel by presenting the information as a story, just like how history should be learned. He also presents vivid characterizationa of physicists and spies, such as Robert Oppenheimer and Harry Gold. This adds to the reader's understanding of the story.
Sheinkin also organizes the information very well, unlike The Last Gunfight, by...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-books, read-alouds, so-good-i-will-buy

This is without question one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. I devoured it (stayed up WAY past my bedtime reading it last night), and I don't generally enjoy non-fiction.

"Bomb" is an incredibly insightful exploration into who built the atomic bomb and why they did it. I found myself cheering on the Norwegians as they thwarted Nazi plans to build an atomic bomb, exclaiming in horror as the Soviets plotted to turn the leader of the Manhattan Project into a spy, and commiserating wi...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Steph rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not a non-fiction lover, but this book was well done. I've heard people speak about this book a few times (because it's now a Newberry honor book and it won the Sibert award), and each time the people say "I don't like non-fiction but this is the best book I've read all year!" (or something along those lines.) Now, those people are lying. Because there is NO WAY someone doesn't like non-fiction and they plow right through this with no question. It still reads like non-fiction; it's kind of l...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Jim Erekson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: informational

Couldn't put it down. I would like to read historians' reviews to see how they think it stacks up and what the historiography looks like. But all the quality indicators are there--meticulous documentation of primary and secondary sources; and an unusual item--a source index for all quotations. So many of the picture book authors skimp on telling about use of primary sources in their notes, and it makes the research look shallow.

Sheinkin was obviously swallowed up in this project. His narrative...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Lexie Robinson Austin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I put off reading this book for a number of reasons. Its nonfiction, and I don’t really care for nonfiction in general. It’s about Atomic Bombs, and really, who wants to read about that? It’s all war-like and violent and stuff. And plus, the cover! Snoozefest. But then, it won the Newbery Honor Award. And the Siebert Award. And the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. And The 2012 Washington Post Best Kids Books of the Year. And was a 2012 National Book Awards finalist for...more I put off reading this book for a number of reasons. Its nonfiction, and I don’t really care for nonfiction in general. It’s about Atomic Bombs, and really, who wants to read about that? It’s all war-like and violent and stuff. And plus, the cover! Snoozefest. But then, it won the Newbery Honor Award. And the Siebert Award. And the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. And The 2012 Washington Post Best Kids Books of the Year. And was a 2012 National Book Awards finalist for Young People’s Literature. Okay, so maybe there is something to this book after all. So I picked it up.

And y’all….it knocked my socks off.

You plunge right into the story of the Atomic race with the capture of spy, Harry Gold. Harry sets the scene for the rest of the book which is filled with spies, intrigue, crazy sabotage schemes, planned kidnappings, explosions, and yes: history and science. The pure genius of this book is that Sheinkin is able to wrap history and science up in exciting, heart pounding plot lines so that this book reads like a Michael Bay action movie.

Now, don’t be put off by the prospect of violence and war stuff in this book. Because, yes, it’s there. But Sheinkin doesn’t shy away from the awfulness of war. His description of Hiroshima is particularly blood chilling. He describes the scientists, who after the first test at Trinity, realized the potential for what they had created and vomited in the bushes. He does a great job of balancing out the pro-arms race fervor with pointed anecdotes, such as Oppenheimer’s visit and appeal to Harry Truman to stop creating atomic weapons. He even balances out the Spies for the USSR with the pointed question, “If the United States and USSR were allies against Hitler, why did the US hide all of their atomic research from the USSR?” He never really answers that question, but leaves the reader to surmise on their own. It paints the picture of scientists who were really conflicted about the nature of science, and that it should be shared instead of kept classified. Obviously trading national secrets to another country is a No No, but I think it was much harder for these scientists than I ever realized.

One thing I found intriguing about this book as a selection for the Newbery Honor award is the potential controversy that could surround some of the language in the book. If you remember, there was HUGE amounts of controversy when The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron won the Newbery Award in 2007 because it used the word “scrotum”. (Remember “Scrotumgate”, anyone?) It used it anatomically correctly, and in a totally appropriate setting. Like Lucky, in Bomb, there are some words that parents may not like. But they’re a little harsher. There is a “Son of a B@#$%” quote (historically accurate from a primary source) and reference to the F word as it pertains to mispronunciations of Karl Fuchs last name. But I haven’t heard anything about it. Not that I’m trying to stir anything up, I just keep wondering when that’s going to hit.

All that aside, please know that this is a spectacular piece of history/science/narrative that made me feel like a better person for reading. I feel like I know my country better and I can understand that particular era of history better than I did before. And I emphasize, it was presented in such a way, that even someone like me who has the attention span of a gnat was engrossed. I’m honestly waiting to hear news that a movie studio has bought it up.

It’s that good.

Sidenote: Much like the right wine selection can enhance a good meal (those who know me well know the irony in this statement), I believe the right music selection can enhance a literary experience. If you are searching for the perfect soundtrack for Bomb, I recommend the CD Night Visions by Imagine Dragons. I happened to pick it up at the same time I was reading Bomb, and found it fit together very nicely.
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Feb 02, 2013 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, history, creative-nonfiction

So, another book about the Manhattan Project, but with a twist. Sheinkin has followed many of the threads of this extraordinary period of history from the discovery of fission to the spy trials and Soviet successes which led to an arms race that is ongoing even today. Instead of getting bogged down in details and lengthy explanations, he has captured the essential elements of an extremely complex story and given them a human face through the device of creating brief scenes with the actual people...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Smoore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kidlit-non-fiction, history

There is a reason Steve Sheinkin's non-fiction book Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon has won the 2013 Newbery Honor Award, the 2013 Sibert Medal, and the 2013 YALSA Award. This book is AMAZING--not a word I use lightly.

I just finished my first non-fiction manuscript for an educational publisher. In my kidlit work, I write primarily fiction, so writing a non-fiction book was a new challenge. It's not easy to create an appealing story that is also factually tru...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, world-war-ii, history-short-periods

This is fast and fascinating. I had heard of many of the characters, but got a lot of great information in a quick, interesting book. The race aspect of the bomb is fascinating. Fission research had begun in Germany and those in the know were worried everyday that Hitler was about to unleash an atomic bomb. Think of how that scary that was... London and Moscow would have been toast. Hitler may have won.

It ended up that because of some thrilling Norwegian saboteurs, whose secret Mission Impossib...more

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Jan 28, 2013 emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, nonfiction, owned-by-me

Nonfiction isn't usually my thing, but I joined a book club that was reading this, so I picked it up. Within a few pages, I was completely hooked. Sheinkin's style of blending primary sources to create a livable experience out of what could otherwise be rather dry history was compelling, and he really communicated the adventurous feel of the race for the bomb-- he says at one point that the physicists working on the Manhattan Project were the explorers of their time, and I really felt like I was...more

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Jan 23, 2013 GRPLTeens Grand Rapids Public Library rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Appeal Characteristics: bombs, spies, WWII, war, army, historical, secret government locations, gadgets, science

This book is worth the hype! It is set as a finalist for the 2013 YASLA nonfiction nominee and yeah...it was good! Even if you're not a HUGE non-fiction reader...especially historical non-fiction, you won't want to miss this book! This book reads like a movie...NOT just any movie it's like the non-graphic version of Inglorious Bastards! So think Quentin Tarantino on an edited way. For...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Susie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an excellent book that reads like a suspense novel. I am embarrassed to admit that there was a lot of basic information included that I was not aware of previously, and I taught science for 23 years. For instance, I knew nothing about the Norwegians part in destroying the heavy water plant. I'm still amazed that all of the raiders survived that demolition.

I did find that the book became a bit tedious. I wish it had been "broken up" by a few strategically placed diagrams, charts, photogra...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, adventure

This was terrific: riveting writing pulls many disparate threads together into a tale of scientific brilliance, espionage, patriotism (of all kinds), and sobering responsibility.

I could not put this down, and I'm still thinking about it days later. Sheinkin covers many sides of the story, from the scientific discoveries that made it all possible, to Norwegian resistance efforts to stop Nazi bomb development, to Americans giving bomb secrets to the Soviets out of a desire to level the playing fie...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Joel.i rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bomb: The race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
Steve Sheinkin
Pages: 272

Bomb is about the race to build the atomic bomb in world war II. The great scientist and professor Oppenheimer learned of the german discovery of nuclear energy along with the rest of the scientific world. To scientist community this was huge many thought of the possibility of unheard of amounts of energy buy harnessing the power but many like Oppenheimer thought of another possible outcome of the discove...more

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“Here at great expense,' [Colonel Groves] moaned to Oppenheimer, 'the government has assembled the world's largest collection of crackpots.” — 1 person liked it

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