Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon is a non-fiction story about the true story of America's race to build the atomic bomb. During World War II, the story follows various theoretical physicists, spies, and other important actors involved in creating the bomb. Robert Oppenheimer is one of those physicists whose incredible mind is critical in helping create the bomb despite his odd demeanor. Eventually, the Soviets learned of the United States and German's decision to build the bomb leading to a deadly race for the technology that could create a nuclear bomb. Sheinkin's story is "a superb tale of an era and an effort that forever changed our world." ("In late December," 2012)

Critical Analysis

Bomb is told in the third person and the story can be challenging to follow due to alternating storylines. Many of the main characters, especially Robert Oppenheimer, are courageous and determined, but most have faults that lead to regrets later in life. Themes include war, courage, espionage, patriotism, and competition. Readers may enjoy a similar book containing war and espionage called The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure Heroism, and Trearchery. The strength of Bomb is that it is able to fit multiple storylines in a carefully crafted story. However, its weakness is that it does not delve deeper into the people's lives responsible for such an incredible discovery.

Audiobook Details

Bomb was reviewed using the unabridged audiobook version using the Audible application. Length is 7 hours and 11 minutes. The narrator's voice provides an air of intrigue with a quiet and delicate tone that is appropriate for such an intricate subject. Sheinkin provides a note on how Russia is not as big of an enemy as it once was and points to other countries like North Korea as a bigger threat. However, it probably goes without saying his audiobook needs to be updated due to the recent events in Ukraine.

References

"In late December". (2012, July 18). Bomb: The Race to Build –And Steal—The World's Most Dangerous Weapon.Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/steve-sheinkin/bomb/

Sheinkin, S. (2013). Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. (R.R. Samuelson, Narr.) [Audiobook] Listening Library. https://www.audible.com/pd/Bomb‑Audiobook/B00ATSWYNE?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp&shareTest=TestShare