Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon Elizabeth Bush Sheinkin, Steve . Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. Roaring Brook, 2012. [272p] illus. with photographs ISBN 978-1-59643-487-5 $19.99 Reviewed from galleys R* Gr. 7-12. It's probably fair to assume that the young adult readers who grab this title are already passingly familiar with the Manhattan Project and its devastating offspring, Little Boy and Fat Man. Here, however, Sheinkin sets the now-familiar story of the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos into the broader context of high-stakes espionage during World War II, as the United States, Germany, and the Soviet Union raced to create or steal plans for the weapon. The three threads of this tale are smoothly integrated and delivered at a steadily accelerating pace, culminating in a breakneck pastiche of primary-source observation and testimony as time closes in around deployment of the bombs. Teen history buffs will be particularly taken with Sheinkin's riveting (and readaloud-worthy) telling of efforts by the Norwegian resistance to sabotage German production of heavy water in Norway, and of the network of spies who, for varying monetary, political, and even humane interests, smuggled detailed bomb-making plans out of Los Alamos and into the hands of the Stalin government. This is edge-of-the seat material that will resonate with YAs who clamor for true spy stories, and it will undoubtedly engross a cross-market [End Page 116] audience of adults who dozed through the World War II unit in high school. An index, quotation notes, an extensive list of sources, and a modest number of black and white photographs are included. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois