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

Hello, friends!

Snow, sickness--we're all feeling ready for Spring!  But sometimes that's the best time to read a book, right?!  

Today's book review is on Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin.  This book is totally out of my comfort zone in that it's nonfiction.  And I just rarely read nonfiction (unless it's a biography).  But I had heard great things about this book AND I wanted to read more about the key "players" involved in building the atomic bomb.  So let's get right to it:

• Standalone book
• Nonfiction

The Gist:
This book starts with a German chemist's discovery that uranium atoms can split at two.  This discovery led to a scientific race to build an atomic bomb and control power in WWII.  The U.S., the Soviet Union, and Germany were in a literal race, knowing that whoever built the bomb first would win the war.  The Soviets sent spies to the U.S., Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Einstein sent a letter to FDR, and secrets were everywhere.  

What I Loved:

• I literally had no idea how many people were involved in building (or stealing plans for building) the atomic bomb.  This book was very well-researched--the best word to describe it is thorough.     
• The format of the book.  There were photos at the beginning of each section that showed key players, settings, situations; this added a lot to the reading of the book.
• I love narrative nonfiction because it doesn't read like a textbook.  I appreciated that this book so often read like a story.
• The ending was haunting--as it should be!  We're definitely not free from atomic bombs, and the book made them perfectly clear.
• There were so many perspectives and characters that it was very interesting to see the various points of view.  I especially enjoyed reading about the man who flew the plane that bombed Hiroshima; I'd always wondered about his opinion of the event.

What I Didn't Love:

• Although I loved all the points of view, there were SO MANY people involved that sometimes it was overwhelming.  It was hard to keep everyone straight (at least to the novice of me).
• I was told that this book read like a high intense spy novel, so I expected I read that I couldn't put down.  But even though it is nonfiction, it wasn't a thriller for me.  It was me reading history--enjoyable, but not edge-of-my-seat. 

My favorite quote: "It's a story with no end in sight.  And, like it or not, you're in it."  (The last lines of the book)

So an enjoyable read for those interested in history or those wanting more knowledge of the atomic bomb.  I give it three high heels.  Now let's just hope that everyone keeps their bombs inactive...right?

I'll be back soon with an outfit inspired by WWII, since that's the time period of this book.  See you then!