Module 11: Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

Book Summary:

The story of the making of the atomic bomb by a host of brilliant physicists, organized by the United States government is a story few know a lot about. The events that led up to the making of the bomb are chronicled. From the discovery that uranium atoms could be split to the dropping of the bomb, all is revealed.

This told in story form from three distinct angles. Readers will learn about what the United States went through to build the bomb, how the Soviet Union tried to steal America’s ideas, and how a main focus for the United States was to keep Germany from building a bomb at all. The facts are told in narrative form with many photos and quotes from all of the key players. Readers will learn about the science to build the bomb as well as the lengths individuals went to steal ideas from the U.S. The race to build bombs is an excellent example of genius and teamwork. It is also a story of moral struggles for those involved in the bomb creation. This is a story that continues today.

APA Reference of Book:

Sheinkin, S. (2012). Bomb: The race to build and steal the world’s most dangerous weapon. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Impressions:

This book, Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, was such an enjoyable read. I’ll admit that I’ve had this book on my shelf for some time but never took the time to read it. I am so glad that I chose to read it now. Not only does it go well with some of the reading for my own classroom, it taught me so much. The way this book was written made this topic so interesting and easier to read. It’s not often that a book can deliver the information necessary in such a clear and interesting manner. I found myself anxious to get back to the book to learn more about the physicists, the spies, the Soviets, and the Germans. I never knew most of the information presented, just some very basics about the bomb and espionage. Never would I have thought that I would want to know more about this subject. Mr. Sheinkin did a fantastic job making this topic irresistible.

Professional Review:

In late December 1938, German chemist Otto Hahn discovered that uranium atoms could be split, and just a few months later the race to build an atomic bomb was on.

The story unfolds in three parts, covering American attempts to build the bomb, how the Soviets tried to steal American designs and how the Americans tried to keep the Germans from building a bomb. It was the eve of World War II, and the fate of the world was at stake, “[b]ut how was a theoretical physicist supposed to save the world?” It’s a true spy thriller, ranging from the football stadium at the University of Chicago to the mountains of Norway, from the deserts of New Mexico to laboratories in East Tennessee, and all along the way spies in the United States were feeding sensitive information to the KGB. Groups of photographs are sprinkled throughout the volume, offering just enough visual support for the splendid character development in the writing, and thorough documentation is provided in the backmatter. It takes a lot of work to make a complicated subject clear and exciting, and from his prodigious research and storytelling skill, Sheinkin has created a nonfiction story young people will want to read.

A superb tale of an era and an effort that forever changed our world. (source notes, quotation notes, acknowledgments, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10 & up)

Kirkus Reviews. (2012). [Review of Bomb: The race to build and steal the world’s most dangerous weapon]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/steve-sheinkin/bomb/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=_cat%3Akirkusreviews.com&utm_campaign=DSA.

Library Uses:

Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon could be used in the library to aid in the research of the topics presented in the book. If someone is doing research on any number of historical figures like Robert Oppenheimer or Albert Einstein or on the time period. Students will find useful information on science, inventions, the war, world leader, and espionage. This book could also be used in the library to show students how informational books can be quite interesting. The librarian could merely read an interesting excerpt to interest readers in this book and other informational text available.