Modern Marvels - The Manhattan Project (History Channel) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)History Channel's "The Manhattan Project" offers a concise, nicely balanced history of the making of the atomic bomb in just under 50 minutes. This 2004 episode of Modern Marvels manages to explain the physics and the technology behind the bomb in layman's terms, while crafting a suspenseful narrative around the costly ($30 billion in current dollars) military-civilian collaboration.
"Manhattan Project" begins with the state of atomic science as the Second World War got underway in 1939, and why the United States decided it should build a bomb before Nazi Germany could. At the center of the narrative are Army General Leslie Groves and scientist Robert Oppenheimer, a yin and yang combination who together solved the technical problems of building a bomb, then in record time put together the industrial resources to provide the necessary uranium and plutonium. "The Manhattan Project" concludes with the Trinity Test of July 1945 and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
The narrative benefits from interviews with some of the surviving personnel who worked on the project. These interviews put a human face on a massive industrial effort. Some prominent historians offer a larger perspective on the project. The narrative does not shy away from the moral implications of use. Some of the concluding comments suggest that warfare has been changed forever by the invention of a weapon that could annihilate millions in a major exchange.
This short feature on the Manhattan Project is highly recommended as a concise but reasonably comprehensive survey at the popular history level of the making of the first atomic bomb.


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At 5:30 a.m., July 16, 1945, scientists and dignitaries awaited the detonation of the first atomic bomb in a desolate area of the New Mexico desert aptly known as Jornada del Muerto--Journey of Death. Dubbed the Manhattan Project, the top-secret undertaking was tackled with unprecedented speed and expense--almost $30-billion in today's dollars. Los Alamos scientists and engineers relate their trials, triumphs, and dark doubts about building the ultimate weapon of war in the interest of peace.

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24 Hours After Hiroshima (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)On August 6, 1945, the B-29 "Enola Gay" dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Many thousands of Japanese died instantly from the resulting blast, shockwave, and firestorm. Others lingered for years with radiation sickness. This fine documentary explores the atomic mission itself, along with the aftermath.
What I found so interesting about this documentary was the fine use of experts. I found the officer who rode in the bomb bay of the B-29 and helped with the arming process to be very interesting. Richard Rhodes' insight into the development and use of the atomic bomb was also good. But perhaps the most insightful and poignant views were expressed by the Japanese survivors themselves. These people had to deal with the effects of the bomb for their entire lives.
I was also impressed with the discussion of how the bomb was designed. Th computer illustrations did a good job of explaining the operation of the bomb, from how the firing mechanism worked to the decision to have the bomb detonate at 1,900 feet rather than exploding on impact: (the ground would have absorbed much of the explosion, while an air burst would achieve maximum damage to the city).
I'm very familiar with the atomic bomb missions, having read several books on the topic. This fine documentary enhanced my earlier readings. National Geographic has done a very good job of explaining the bombing of Hiroshima, and the personal interviews explain the story of the bomb even further. Highly recommended.

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On August 6th, 1945 a weapon unlike any other before wasunleashed on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Four days later, the Japanese surrendered having been subjected to horrors and devastation previously unknown and unimaginable. But beyond the horror and human toll, real scientific questions remained unanswered. In 1945, a team of scientists and experts from the Manhattan Project was ordered by President Truman to investigate the facts of what really happened when the atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima. National Geographic reveals the incredible science behind what happened moment by moment in the 24 Hours After Hiroshima.

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