Day One: Before Hiroshima and After [Paperback]

Peter Wyden (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Warner Books (August 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446358770
• ISBN-13: 978-0446358774
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,172,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The A-bomb- its uses, and its consequences, April 3, 2000

By 

Barbara (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Day One: Before Hiroshima and After (Hardcover)

While doing a research project on the decision to drop the A-bomb, I stumbled across this jewel of a book. Not only did it talk about everything I needed to know, but it presented it in an organized concise manner. It covered all stages of the atomic bomb from its conception, other countries' efforts to build an atomic bomb, the race to build it, the drop on Japan, and the consequences. Furthermore, it was a joy to read and I continued reading it after my project was finished. It presented all the information in a crystal clear light.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent history, September 27, 2009

By 

V. P. Dura (Rogersville, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Day One: Before Hiroshima and After (Paperback)

Provides some fascinating insight into J. Robert Oppenhiemer and the other scientist involved in the development of the bomb.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bomb is Still with Us, November 30, 2005

By 

Montaigne "markomundo" (Glen Ridge, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Day One: Before Hiroshima and After (Hardcover)

The idyllic glow following the end of the Cold War has diminished and a new reality is gripping the world. The underlying issue of course is still the Bomb. This weapon of mass destruction still holds a central place in our fears, casting a dark shadow on the human condition. Peter Wyden's Day One: Before Hiroshima and After does a fine job of discussing a pivotal day in history, the day the United States dropped a weapon of mass destruction on Japan.

The actors in this atomic drama are at times entertaining and at other times frightening. J. Robert Oppenheimer comes across as a scientist of enormous complexity. Gen. Leslie Groves kept the Manhattan Project on track, building the first operational atomic bomb in a few years. President Harry Truman ultimately authorized its use against targets in Japan. He claimed to have no regrets about doing so. Wyden manages to convey some of the moral and ethical angst the actors were experiencing throughout the project. Many of the scientists involved in the Project had serious moral qualms about the Bomb. These misgivings were often overshadowed by the force of stronger personalities in the political and scientific communities, including Oppenheimer and Edward Teller. Numerous alternative scenarios are discussed by the actors, including a demonstration of the Bomb for Japan and the world community. Alternative considerations were ultimately dismissed because the principals had already made up their minds.

Wyden devotes much of the second half of the book to the Bomb's horrific effects on the Japanese. Though he does not come right out and say so, one gets the sense that the author believes the Bomb should not have been used. Certainly the decision to use the Bomb has been debated for over 60 years and arguments have been made on both sides. What this book provides the reader with an understanding of the historical process of building the Bomb, the arguments for and against its use by the people involved in the decision making process, and finally the importance of the Bomb in dividing history into Before and After. Wyden has written a thought-provoking book that is worth reading.