The Horn Book Guide

HISTORY

Sheinkin, Steve

Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

266 pp. | Roaring Brook/Flash Point | September, 2012 | Trade ISBN 978-1-59643-487-5 $19.99

(1) YA While comprehensive in its synthesis of the political, historical, and scientific aspects of the creation of the first nuclear weapon, this account focuses on an extremely alluring angle: the spies. Sheinkin maintains the pace of a thriller without betraying history or skipping over the science; writing with journalistic immediacy, he eschews editorializing. Photos help readers organize the events and players. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012