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Before the Fall-Out: From Marie Curie to Hiroshima
by Diana Preston
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Doubleday UK (2005-09-13)
ISBN: 0385604386
EAN: 9780385604383
Dewy Decimal #: 355
Hardcover: 352 pages
Release Date: 2005-09-13
SKU: 08030370
Condition: Like New Very Good
Comments: Hardback in like new condition with no markings. Dust jacket in very good condition with small closed tear in back cover and wrinkling at bottom of back cover and minor shelf wear. Tight binding and clear crisp text. Very nice book.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
A history of the Atomic Bomb from Marie Curie to Hiroshima.
“I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”
— Oppenheimer quoting the Bhagavad Gita after witnessing the successful demonstration of the atom bomb.
The bomb, which killed an estimated 140,000 civilians in Hiroshima and destroyed the countryside for miles around, was one of the defining moments in world history. That mushroom cloud cast a terrifying shadow over the contemporary world and continues to do so today. But how could this have happened? What led to the creation of such a weapon of mass destruction?
From the moment scientists contemplated the destructive potential of splitting the atom, the role of science changed. Ethical and moral dilemmas faced all those who realized the implications of their research. Before the Fall-Out charts the chain of events from Marie Curie’s scientific breakthrough through the many colourful characters such as Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer and Lord Rutherford, whose discoveries contributed to the bomb.
The story of the atomic bomb spans 50 years of prolific scientific innovation, turbulent politics, foreign affairs and world-changing history. Through personal stories of exile, indecision and soul-searching, to charges of collaboration, spying and deceit, Diana Preston presents the human side of an unstoppable programme with a lethal outcome.
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Customer Reviews
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Fasinating account
Rating  (4)
Date: 2007-07-21
This is a study from Marie Curie's scientific breakthrough through to developing the bomb. Almost all this book comes from the science world which I found interesting. I very much enjoyed reading the stories of the scientific characters.
You will however find little in the book on the military, politicians and engineers all who made as great a contribution. There is only a bit about the pilots who had trained almost a year for this mission.
There is also an interesting what-if section at the end.
Some issues I do have with the book were I found some of the answers on the use of the bomb doubtful. The writer assumes that it had in part something to do with the US trying to use it to terrify the Russians. There is little evidence for this.
Also her reasons for ending the war in the Pacific centered too much on the Japan and the US. Yet others were involved. Possibly the Russian entering the war probably was more important to Japan surrender then the US bomb.
Furthermore the US could not have offered Japan better terms at Potsdam without causing major political problems both internally and externally as she had agreed that Unconditional Surrender policy earlier with her allies at the Casablanca conference. Because of the bomb and the Russian entry into the war there was no reason to upset them.
Also the losses in the Pacific conflict were producing about 20,000 deaths a day that were not US or Japan - some notable examples were the Chinese, Indonesians, Indo China, Burma etc. If the bomb speeded up the end of the war by one month it saved several 100,000's of these people too. These people should also be considered in the moral calculation that the writer proposes.
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