The Bomb: A Life

by Gerard J. DeGroot

Bombs are as old as hatred itself. But it was the twentieth century--one hundred years of incredible scientific progress and terrible war--that brought forth the Big One, the Bomb, humanity's most powerful and destructive invention. In The A Life , Gerard DeGroot tells the story of this once unimaginable weapon that--at least since 8:16 a.m. on August 6, 1945--has haunted our dreams and threatened our existence. The Bomb has killed hundreds of thousands outright, condemned many more to lingering deaths, and made vast tracts of land unfit for life. For decades it dominated the psyches of millions, becoming a touchstone of popular culture, celebrated or decried in mass political movements, films, songs, and books. DeGroot traces the life of the Bomb from its birth in turn-of-the-century physics labs of Europe to a childhood in the New Mexico desert of the 1940s, from adolescence and early adulthood in Nagasaki and Bikini, Australia and Kazakhstan to maturity in test sites and missile silos around the globe. His book portrays the Bomb's short but significant existence in all its scope, providing us with a portrait of the times and the people--from Oppenheimer to Sakharov, Stalin to Reagan--whose legacy still shapes our world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 17, 2004

About the author

Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Modern History at the University of St. Andrews.

Reviews

[John Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating history of the relationship between scientists, politicians, the military and the public as discovery led to obsession, obsession led to devastating capabilities and the desire to deter through massive accumulation of offensive capability resulted in our ability to destroy ourselves at the push of the proverbial button.

The history of the development of nuclear weapons perhaps brings to light the need to consider both technological determinism and social determinism as potentially valid interdependent perspectives when considering the development of new technologies. Something to consider when looking at the evolving nature of society as a result of advances in technology.

Interestingly, I’m also currently reading about Futurism as a modern art movement that preceded the nuclear arms race but espoused the virtues of technological advancement and glorified war. One can’t but help feel there’s connections between the two.

When Pandora’s box is opened it cannot be closed.

[Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was a light, cheery read. Inspiring in that it shows that humanity can achieve miracles and make astounding efforts when need and government policy coincide. Other than that, everything's built on sand and we're all one bad morning away from armageddon. Yay!

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many books have been written about the nuclear weapons and their effect on the world. Few, however, have attempted to write a coherent biography of the bomb as an entity. Gerard DeGroot has done just that. With biting wit and an eye on history, DeGroot documents the life of the bomb from its embryonic state in the mind of European physicists through the Cold War and the age of terror. He not only gives detailed accounts of how a dozen American presidents dealt with the issues of “mutually assured destruction”, he also covers the bombs influence on popular culture, family life, world economies, literature and religion. Engrossing, frightening and thoughtful, the book shines a light on humanity’s drive to destroy itself. This is probably one of the best books I've read in the last few years.

NC

[Darla Ebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is such a blessing (thank you Lord) our children and grandchildren did not have to grow up under the shadow of The Bomb. There is still the threat but in the late 50's and early 60's information was sparse and all we really knew was detonation at any point in the world would be bad, it would be VERY bad. Our children did not have to go through having their early morning cartoons interrupted by a test pattern, a siren, a sizzle and blankness. Then the comforting (?) words, "This was a test, it was only a test. Should this have been a real emergency...." I thought of our basement many times throughout the 1960's and inadequate it was should a bomb hit anywhere near us. The explosion itself would have been the least of our worries.
This book aspires (and achieves by my way of thinking) to tell all. All about the time period, which begins with the generally naive and happy days of the 50's. And then the radicalism and rebellion that erupted as we passed into the 60's. there is a good focus on the leaders, world events, the general patriotism of Americans up against The Evil which was "out there".

[Eddlake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book
Contains lots of fascinating information such as:At Los Alamos if the A-bomb was successful, it would be deemed a boy, if it was a dud a girl
The USA had plans to make a second Panama canal dug with the aid of nukes. This smart idea was thought up by Edward Teller. The Hungarian-American scientist is a rather interesting character, although DeGroot despises Teller's enthusiasm for WMDs

[ToeToe]

This book was for my class on the history of nuclear weapons and its impact on culture. I liked the story-ish way it laid it out. It is a lot of information to take in still but presents it in a digestible way.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me feel like Julianne Moore in Safe

[Dennis Kocik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough researching of the history of the Bomb, including a discussion of deterrence and proliferation. Recommended.

[Ushan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short history of the American, Soviet and British atomic bomb programs and their effect on society and culture. The dramatis personae are Szilard, Oppenheimer, Teller (who is portrayed as someone truly demonic; Gorbachev was right to refuse to shake his hand), Fuchs, Feynman, Kurchatov, Sakharov, Zeldovich and Tamm; Groves, Truman, Eisenhower, Reagan, Beria, Khrushchev and Gorbachev; Russell and the women at Greenham Common. The United States, the Soviet Union and Great Britain have all marched soldiers through a field soon after a nuclear explosion; since the effects of radiation on them weren't studied, DeGroot says that they weren't even guinea pigs - they were sacrificial lambs. The 1957 nuclear waste explosion at Kombinat Mayak and its effects on the health of the surrounding villagers is described, and the troubles of the downwinders in Nevada. The bomb made a great impact on popular culture, from Tom Lehrer's songs (DeGroot quotes from "We Will All Go Together", but Lehrer also wrote "Who's Next" and "So Long, Mom") to Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker. It brought out the bizarrest in both the government and society, from a U.S. government's recommendation that citizens escape the devastation of atomic bombardment on a cruise ship (a critic charged that this amounts to saving Republicans at the expense of Democrats) to a newlywed couple spending the honeymoon inside a fallout shelter.

I think that nuclear weapons did well as a deterrent - despite all the mutual hatred between the Soviet Union and the United States they did not go to war with each other. However, now the United States has enemies deterrence against whom does not work. They are willing to kill themselves for their cause, as did the 9/11 hijackers, and they are willing to kill innocent bystanders, including Muslims, as did the bombers who blew up the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam. Saudis have committed terrorist acts on 9/11/2001; should the United States have nuked Mecca? Apparently somebody thinks so, for somebody has bought the NUKE MECCA sticker - but this person probably does not represent the U.S. government. This won't happen, and the terrorists know this won't happen, not that they would care if it did. Therefore, I think that nuclear weapons have outlived their usefulness; in fact, DeGroot quotes a U.S. Air Force general who says the same thing. President Nixon killed the U.S. biological weapons program; President Bush-41 killed the chemical weapons program; I don't see anyone lamenting this. I hope some future U.S. President does the same with the nuclear weapons program, agreeing with Russia and China to join; I cannot imagine Bush-43 doing it.

[William Schram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sickening in many aspects, this book brings some of the atrocities of the Cold War to light. This book is mostly about the Atomic Bomb and the beginnings of the Atomic Age up to the Fall of the USSR in 1989. It talks of efforts to reduce the number of atom bombs and Thermonuclear Devices in service.

A fascinating account of the effects of the bomb on the collective consciousness of the world, it describes the bomb as a weapon, but one that should not be used. Early on in the life of the bomb it was realized that it was too destructive, yet more kept being made in the Arms Race between the USSR and the United States. The idea of Mutually Assured Destruction is tossed around a lot, and it talks of the naivety of the citizens that the government was supposed to protect.

The scientists working on the development of these weapons were varied in their views. Some hoped that such a device would end war altogether, but those were not usually the people in power. After the Atom Bomb, it was thought that a more powerful weapon was possible to be made, so they made it. The justification for all of this was that it was necessary to preserve their ways of life and the peace of their nations, but in the end all we got was a bankrupt USSR and a whole lot of out of work scientists.

Anyway, this book was really good. A lot of the stories had me shaking my head in anger.

[Juniper Shore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a book about The Bomb so much as a book about books about The Bomb. It's a social history, examining people's reactions to the fear of armageddon. There's a lot of black humor (at the first atomic test, Enrico Fermi offered bets on whether the entire atmosphere would burn up). There's a lot of futile rationalization and hiding under desks.

For audiences too young to remember nuclear alerts, this is an interesting introduction to a way of thinking that has (happily) faded into the past. Older audiences may find it a bit tedious, particularly in the endless political debates surrounding disarmament.

[Eric Bittner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting survey of the life of "the bomb", and all its associated issues. The author does an especially good job of pointing out the backward logic and at times absurdity of nuclear strategy. The bottom line is that the bomb did do what some had hoped - make total war impossible - but fear and distrust between the nuclear powers fed the arms race, with nearly disastrous consequences for both the US and USSR. The author closes with a brief look at the current state of the nuclear club, and makes it clear that the end of the cold war has not made the world a safer place. Recommended.