Atomic Awakening: A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power

I first read James Mahaffey’s Atomic Accidents and absolutely LOVED it. I loved his footnotes, the details and the wealth of information he put into this book. When I saw this one, I didn’t hesitate to get it. I still found myself eagerly anticipating each delightful footnote. Much of the text was engrossing and informative.
I did have a problem fitting all the things he discusses under the heading as “The Future and History of Nuclear Power.” The book starts from the earliest scientific discoveries that eventually led to the development of nuclear science. I actually found this part a bit boring. I didn’t think he needed to include so much about this period. Yes, maybe a short chapter would have worked, but it felt like the show more first 30% of the book was spent on this subject. He devotes another large chunk of the book to the Manhattan Project, which again, felt like it could have been a briefer part of the book.
I was expecting much more to be devoted to nuclear reactors and issues surrounding their use. He did spend some time discussing this, but the title made the subject feel like it should have been the main subject of the book. Not to say I didn’t enjoy it at all. It just felt like the contents of the book didn’t match the title at all.
I especially enjoyed the author’s discussion of the effort to build a nuclear powered airplane and nuclear rocket. This area of nuclear history is absolutely fascinating to me. He made it even better by appealing to the industrial archaeologist in me by talking about the remains of AFP. 67 in Dawsonville, Georgia. I think the subject of nuclear planes/rockets would be amazing if placed in Mr. Mahaffey’s very capable hands.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed most of this book and would encourage this to anyone interested in the history of science and technology. I would not recommend it to someone seeking information on the history and future of nuclear power, as the title suggests. show less

Exciting and fluid historical perspective on the nuclear military and civilian sector from the perspective of someone in the business.

Soft on the contemporary technological developments in the field and the ethical balancing act that is at the core of this powerful tool.