Review: Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal- The World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

Sheinkin, Steve. (2012). Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal- The World's Most Dangerous Weapon. New York: Roaring Book Press. 266 pages. ISBN 9781596434875.

Awards/Selection Lists:
-Newbery Honor Book
-National Book Awards - Finalist
-Robert F. Sibert Award
-YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
-Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
 -Washington Post Best Books of the Year
  -VA Jefferson Cup Winner (Older Readers)
 -NBA Young People's Award Finalists 2000-2013

   

Author's Website: http://www.stevesheinkin.com

Brief Summary:  In 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States entered into the second world war, a war that threatened to engulf the entirety of Europe and Asia, and certainly affected every country on the globe. As the war got worse, and new types of brutal warfare emerged, a previous accidental discovery led to the greatest race, the race to end the war by creating the world's first atomic bomb. The only question was, who was going to get there first.

 

With allies fighting against each other, Norwegians being trained for secret spy missions to cripple the German's efforts, KGB blatantly recruiting in the United States, and the FBI trailing them all, a group of scientists were rounded up and brought to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the American's effort to stop the war truly gained speed. But would it be enough and who were these men and women willing to risk everything, to create the impossible?

Personal Reaction: As with all Sheinkin's books, I couldn't stop turning the pages. Once again it felt like I was watching an action/spy thriller, rather than reading non-fiction. Being a huge history lover, particularly in regards to World War II, I have always been curious about the Manhattan Project and the nuclear physics that went into making the atom bomb but Sheinkin explained more about nuclear physics and fission by the time I got to page 82, than 12 years of science classes did! I was flabbergasted that not only was I reading this exciting true story of espionage, FBI agents, covert operatives, cutting edge science and the tools to stop the war, but I finally understood how these things worked and saw the faces of the people who made it happen, in the pages of this book. I found myself wondering what kind of security clearance Sheinkin had, and then realized, the man is just a superb research and an even better story teller.

Front/Back Matter: Preliminary title page, photo of an atomic bomb, title page, copyright page with dedication, table of contents, prologue,source notes, quotation notes, acknowledgements, photo credits, index.

Content Evaluation: (Same evaluation as previous title )One of the things I love about Steve Sheinkin's books is that he incorporates a lot of citations and first hand accounts, and more importantly, tells you where he got the information! So many other non-fiction writers completely skip over this part. Not only does he do this in text, but he provides a distinct quotations index by chapter and includes a detailed index, which allows for greater in-depth research and additional related reading on the subject. He even recommends books to start from. His enthusiasm is contagious and all the extra detail work shows, not only a great deal of research, but a great deal of thought and credibility. I can't wait to read more and I particularly liked the acknowledgement, which explains how the author developed the concept for the book.