Books I’ve read recently

The Making of the Atomic Bomb

The Making of the Atomic Bomb is an excellent, in depth history of the Manhattan project and nuclear physics leading up to WWII. The book is split into three sections. The entire first section is devoted to the history of nuclear physics while the latter sections discuss the Manhattan project and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, all are thoroughly detailed. For example, in most physics textbooks, famous experiments like Rutherford’s Gold Foil experiment are explained with a rough sketch of the experimental setup, devoid of any specifics. Instead generic boxes are presented with titles like “alpha particle source.” But what is an alpha particle source and how did they find it? Making of the Atomic Bomb dives into those details, describing who found the alpha particle source, how they found it, why it was important, and how it was used experimentally. You’ll be lead from the start of nuclear physics through many important experiments with biographies of the scientists sprinkled throughout. From the first section alone, you’ll learn how a reactor works, what’s needed to achieve a chain reaction, how an atomic bomb works, and how a hydrogen bomb works. You’ll learn all of these things while he narrates with stories about the scientist’s lives

The book is totally exhaustive and incredibly well researched. However, the book is not without its warts. Some parts are too exhaustively detailed and are difficult to follow, especially when he talks about political maneuvering and administrative finagling. About 200 pages in the scientists will blend together, outside of a few major characters, you’ll have a hard time keeping them straight. The author also has an ambiguous writing style and a tremendous vocabulary. For the first 100 pages I was constantly looking up new words, I did this until it become too cumbersome and I started skipping words. The way he forms sentences can be unclear, I would reread sentences to determine the intended meaning quite often. Outside of my few quibbles, it’s a solid book. Looking forward to reading his sequel “Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb.”

The Rickover Effect

Rickover is arguably the greatest engineer ever to serve in the US Navy. He is the man responsible for the first nuclear submarine (the Nautilus) and the first nuclear power plant. Written by one Rickover’s most senior engineers, this book takes you on a tour of the early years of the nuclear navy and Rickover’s rise to power. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I recommend it only to those who are interested in Rickover, or U.S. Navy history. If you’re a Rickover fan, definitely check this book out.

Blind Man’s Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage

A great book, filled with incredible Cold War stories. I originally picked this title up to learn more about the specialized Navy submarine NR-1. I was not disappointed. Included are details of Project Jennifer (the project that raised a Soviet sub from the Pacific ocean), Admiral Rickover, the tapping of under-sea Soviet communication cables, and other incredible missions.

Rendezvous with Rama

A nice science fiction novel by the great Arthur C. Clarke. The book is about the mission to explore a giant, alien cylinder that visits our solar system. If you’re into fiction books that are meticulous with technical details, then this is.