Bomb by Steve Sheinkin (Henry Wang)

    History is written by the winner, and in many cases, the winner has the bigger stick. From the bow to the stirrup to the gun, the one who wields the more powerful weapon comes out on top. However, no weapon in history can even compare to nuclear technology, which some claim was discovered 2 centuries too early. When nuclear fission was first discovered in the 1930s it revolutionized our understanding of physics, but also opened up a new opportunity to build a bigger stick. In order to survive, the top powers sought to build the most dangerous weapon in history, the nuclear bomb, able to determine the outcome of the second world war. Bomb written by Steve Sheinkin reveals the complete story of the race to build the atomic bomb (and how to steal it) during the height of WW2.  

Little Boy, the First Atomic Bomb Used Publicly. 

It all started in Germany, where a (German) scientist named Otto Hahn made the shocking discovery that rattled physicists across the world. While I won’t delve into physics, this breakthrough demonstrated that an atom could be split (contradicting previous understanding), and an enormous amount of energy would be released following the rupture. This was also during the turbulent uprising of a steadily growing German nationalist party in a broken country, its economy and people broken after the loss in the Great War. With tensions on the brink of collapse, the United States began a project known as the Manhattan Project led by Robert Oppenheimer, with the goal of building a nuclear bomb, fearing the Germans would do the same. Both would seek resources to build the weapon, creating a race (in a sense) to gain the upper hand in mankind’s largest war. The U.S. eventually came out on top, due to some ingenious engineering and a bit of sabotage. But a single country holding a monopoly of the most dangerous creation mankind has ever touched, made some in the U.S. program feel that it should be shared with the other emerging superpower post-WW2, the Soviets. (The book only covers WW2 events and a few after). 

Robbert Oppenheimer (Top), creator, and leader of the Manhattan Project (Bottom)

Not only did Bomb present intriguing information, but it also connected the dots seamlessly, with the reader being able to understand every aspect of the complex history of the atomic bomb race. Many factors played a key role, from the descriptions of the science used by the engineers of the weapon, to the Norwegian resistance members in the infamous Heavy Water sabotage. Being able to piece together this massive puzzle requires a flawless structure, one that Bomb checks all boxes for. “By April, Hitler’s armies were in complete collapse. Allied forces were pouring into Germany from the east and west… It was the elimination of the German heavy-water project… that was the main factor in our (German scientists) failure to achieve a self-sustaining atomic reactor” (Sheinkin 162-163). Within a few paragraphs, the author ties in multiple factors in the war to wrap up the race, helping readers easily browse over the information without getting tied down with other irrelevant topics. 

Norwegian heavy water plant, later sabotaged by Norwegian resistance members. 

Bomb also tells the story of the Soviet spies, spying not on the Germans, but on their own ally (at the time), the United States. “His knowledge was useful and the Soviets wanted every scrap of the information they could get… “we met for a matter of seconds,” Gold (Soviet spy) recalled, “I turned over the information.” (Sheinkin 170) Bringing up the eavesdropping shows just how elaborate and secretive the program was, leaving the readers with a more gripping story of three sides rather than the traditional two. Detailing the espionage on American soil also enforces the fact that this technology can change the course of history, which evidently resulted in the Cold War between the two surviving superpowers post-WW2. The author also incorporates a plethora of quotes from many of the people in the story, from scientists to spies, all the way to military officials. “The scene of this test and the University of Chicago would have been confusing to an outsider,” Fermi (Italian Physicist) later said… “Look, you fool,” Sam (Spy Handler) said, laughing, “what the Soviet Union needs more than anything in the world is time, precious time.” (Sheinkin 181; 209)Using many quotes can help the reader picture the characters actually speaking the phrases, bringing a sense of realism a regular summary couldn’t do. 

Harry Gold, Swiss-American chemist, later a Soviet courier, known for his involvement in the 

espionage in the Atomic Bomb Program. 

The book also details specific subplots, things that would most likely be glazed over in regular history classes. Undermining the heroics of Knut Haukelid (who you will learn about in the story) or Robbert Oppenheimer cannot fulfill the gravity and intricacy of the race, therefore cheating readers and students of a complete story that I mentioned above are structured to perfection, transforming what would have been a dull publication to a captivating story. With all this said, I highly recommend reading his sequel to Bomb, named Fallout which directly picks up from the end of WW2 and introduces readers to the creation of the Hydrogen bomb (which technically is an atom bomb, but implements the energy in a different way), the lesser-known but much more powerful bomb that succeeded the atomic bomb. Fallout follows the same format and has the enthralling and captivating dialogue that Bomb has. 

Knut Haukelid, a Norwegian resistance member mainly credited for crippling the German Atomic         

Program.