The Day the Sun Rose Twice: The Story of the Trinity Site Nuclear Explosion, July 16, 1945 (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This tightly focused, lucidly written and thoroughly researched book. . . describes the events, personalities and scientific processes that led to the detonation of the first atomic bomb in an isolated stretch of New Mexican desert. . . . Mr. Szasz provides fascinating details. . . . The Day the Sun Rose Twice is concise and cogent, a valuable introduction to how our nuclear dilemma began."

Product Description

First published in 1984, this prize-winning history of the Manhattan Project is now available in paperback for the first time, fifty years after the explosion of the first atomic bomb.

"This tightly focused, lucidly written and thoroughly researched book. . . describes the events, personalities and scientific processes that led to the detonation of the first atomic bomb in an isolated stretch of New Mexican desert. . . . Mr. Szasz provides fascinating details. . . . The Day the Sun Rose Twice is concise and cogent, a valuable introduction to how our nuclear dilemma began."—New York Times Book Review

"May be the definitive account of the days and hours leading up to the first nuclear explosion in history and the legacy it left. He vividly reconstructs the story: the industrious atmosphere of the scientists and technicians; the grave considerations of those making key decisions; the sense of wonder, and twinges of conscience, at what had been achieved."—Los Angeles Times

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Product Details

• Paperback: 245 pages
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press (July 5, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082630768X
• ISBN-13: 978-0826307682
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #484,557 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Blast that changed the world..., November 23, 2002

By	Katherine "Kat" (Hammond, LA United States) - See all my reviews

In THE DAY THE SUN ROSE TWICE, Ferenc Morton Szasz recounts the story of the Trinity Site Nuclear Explosion that occurred on July 16, 1945. The author does an excellent job tracing critical details leading up to this historical process which changed American history and the world around us.

The book is broken down into nine chapters beginning with the origins of Los Alamos. However, Szasz begins by discussing the conceptual revolutions of human knowledge during the late nineteenth-early twentieth century.

The illustrations included in the book give the reader incredible insight into the actual events. "The ball of fire," a photograph taken of the nuclear explosion in New Mexico offers a visual effect of the actual event. Photographs of the people show the reader who was involved in the project. The map explains the large area in the state of New Mexico consumed for this project.

Overall, I found the book to be easy to read, although
I knew very little about the subject matter. I did, however, gain more insight into nuclear weapons. My favorite chapter was "The Blast." Szasz spoke to a number of people from all walks of life who experienced the blast of the Trinity. I chose this book as one of my book reviews for a special topics history class and found it to be an excellent read.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just what the title promises, May 5, 1999

By A Customer

A short book that focuses on the Trinity test of the first nuclear 'device' (not a bomb, because it wasn't cable of being dropped from a plane). Worth reading if you're as deeply interested in this subject as I am.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile, with some unique information, August 27, 1999

By A Customer

If you read one book about the bomb, read Richard Rhodes's "The Making of the Atomic Bomb". I read Szasz as a refresher a few days before visiting the Trinity site, and found that it had a number of nice bits of information. (The Trinity site can be visited on the first Saturdays of April & October.)