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Atomic Bomb Island
- Tinian, the Last Stage of the Manhattan Project, and the Dropping of the Atomic Bombs on Japan in World War II
- Narrated by: John Lescault
- Length: 18 hrs and 9 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Atomic Bomb Island tells the story of an elite, top-secret team of sailors, airmen, scientists, technicians, and engineers who came to Tinian in the Marianas in the middle of 1945 to prepare the island for delivery of the atomic bombs then being developed in New Mexico, to finalize the designs of the bombs themselves, and to launch the missions that would unleash hell on Japan.
Almost exactly a year before the atomic bombs were dropped, strategically important Tinian was captured by Marines - because it was only 1,500 miles from Japan and its terrain afforded ideal runways from which the new B-29 bombers could pound Japan. In the months that followed, the US turned virtually all of Tinian into a giant airbase, with streets named after those of Manhattan Island - a Marianas city where the bombs could be assembled, the heavily laden B-29s could be launched, and the Manhattan Project scientists could do their last work.
Mariana Islands historian Don Farrell has done this story incredible justice for the 75th anniversary. The book is a thoroughly researched mosaic of the final phase of the Manhattan Project, from the Battle of Tinian and the USS Indianapolis to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Grant S.
- 08-10-21
TRUE HISTORY!
This book should be required reading for every High School History Class. It is popular to say Japan was on the ropes and whatnot. I wonder how many of todays young people would not have been born if their grandfathers would have had to wade ashore on Japan.
1 person found this helpful
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- Allen
- 04-02-21
Required WW2 reading
As my intro headline alludes to, this book should be required reading in all high school and college history classes! Unbelievable research by the author Mr. Farrell. As a WW2 history reader, I will be studying and rereading this great book for years to come! Are you reading this review Mr. Farrell? Only thing I would have changed about this book is the over dramatic title. Book covers everything from German scientists theory of the possibility of atom chain reaction 1939, to being in the planes Enola Gay and Bockscar on their missions. Potsdam summit where first day Truman is nice to Stalin, to second day after Truman has been advised "Trinity test exceeded all expectations." Second day at Potsdam Churchhill is miffed why Truman is now telling Stalin, this is where you get on, this is where you get off. Just can not say enough about this landmark book, cannot thank you enough Mr. Farrell.
1 person found this helpful
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- JP
- 01-30-21
A Special History
This is a very important book about the efforts made to end World War II. Required reading.
1 person found this helpful
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- Kad
- 02-09-22
Good story and focus.
it contains much detail about the effort. maybe too much. But interesting none the less.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-15-22
Poor on broader history of the Second World War
I ended up giving up on this. Too many factually wrong or misleading comments about the wider war made me question the reliability of the rest. The idea the Stilwell (rather than Bill Slim) led the Burma campaign for instance just shows a profound lack of knowledge.
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- Craig
- 05-03-22
Too The Point.
Historical books are typically difficult to research and write. Continually cross referencing and double checking fact against fiction. This particular story (history) has not only been well researched but equally well narrated. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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- allan isaacs
- 11-07-21
Great story read at breakneck speed. Shame
Great story, lots of detail but read at breakneck speed. I personally found it very distracting. Shame.
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- Michal
- 01-05-22
Great when it sticks to its story
It's an important book detailing the little know activities on the Tinian island relating to dropping two nuclear bombs on Japan.
When the author sticks to the story he is trying to tell he usually succeeds quite well. The Tinian Island story is not well known and it's only hinted in a number of other Manhattan Project books. I have not appreciated the difficulty and complexity of creating a base of operation on Tinian during WWII for the purposes of dropping the nuclear bombs and this part of the book is indeed quite fascinating.
The author fails quite badly telling only one side of the political story about the bombs and calling out what he calls "revisionists historians". If so, the author is quite a "reactionary historian" ignoring a lot of evidence which does not fit his own political views.
There are also a number of other missteps, mostly to do when trying to paint the political situation of WWII, usually regarding to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The author paints quite a naive and American-centric picture of the war and for a seasoned reader it can be quite cringe-worthy at times.
The book could have used a good editor, there is a big number of unnecessary repetitions and silly statements when the author tries to make his point.
If only the author has restricted himself to the story he set out to tell I would have been happy to give it five starts.
I am happy to award five stars to the lector who did a very good job.