Birthplace Of The Atomic Bomb: A Complete History Of The Trinity Test Site

It was not Robert Oppenheimer who built the bomb--it was engineers, chemists and young physicists in their twenties, many not yet having earned a degree. The first atomic bomb was originally conceived as a backup device, a weapon not then currently achievable. The remote Trinity Site--the birthplace of the bomb--was used as a test range for U.S. bombers before the first nuclear device was secretly detonated. After the blast, locals speculated that the flash and rumble were caused by colliding B-29s, while Manhattan Project officials nervously measured high levels of offsite radiation. Drawing on original documents, many recently declassified, the author sheds new light on a pivotal moment in history--now approaching its 75th anniversary--told from the point of view of the men who inaugurated the Atomic Age in the New Mexico desert.

• | Author: William S. Loring
• | Publisher: McFarland
• | Publication Date: Feb 22, 2019
• | Number of Pages: 445 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback/History
• | ISBN-10: 1476675511
• | ISBN-13: 9781476675510