Birthplace of the Atomic Bomb: A Complete History of the Trinity Test Site

It was not Robert Oppenheimer who built the bomb--it was engineers, chemists and young physicists in their twenties, many not yet having earned a degree. The first atomic bomb was originally conceived as a backup device, a weapon not then currently achievable. The remote Trinity Site--the birthplace of the bomb--was used as a test range for U.S. bombers before the first nuclear device was secretly detonated. After the blast, locals speculated that the flash and rumble were caused by colliding B-29s, while Manhattan Project officials nervously measured high levels of offsite radiation. Drawing on original documents, many recently declassified, the author sheds new light on a pivotal moment in history--now approaching its 75th anniversary--told from the point of view of the men who inaugurated the Atomic Age in the New Mexico desert.

Author: William S. Loring
Publisher: McFarland and Company, Inc.
Published: 02/22/2019
Pages: 445
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.70lbs
Size: 9.90h x 6.90w x 1.10d
ISBN13: 9781476675510
ISBN10: 1476675511
BISAC Categories:
- History | Wars & Conflicts | World War II | General
- History | United States | State & Local | Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX)
- History | Military | Nuclear Warfare

About the Author
William S. Loring worked as a helicopter crew chief and an academic instructor at the Army Aviation School and holds an Airframe and Powerplant license. He lives in Dallas, Texas.