Birthplace of the Atomic Bomb: A Complete History of the Trinity Test Site

By William S Loring

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1476675511
• ISBN13: 9781476675510
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 445 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.9" x 9.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher