Todd Tucker

Atomic America: How a Deadly Explosion and a Feared Admiral Changed the Course of Nuclear History

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ISBN 13:
9780803234024
author:
Todd Tucker
format:
Paperback
publisher:
Bison
language:
English
Publication Year:
2010
Pages:
304
Dimensions:
152mm X 229mm
Genre:
Local History Textbook
Condition:
New
Availability:
Item usually sent within 7 working days
£17.10

Description

The SL-1 nuclear reactor explosion in 1961 had a profound impact on the development of nuclear power in the United States. On January 3, 1961, a reactor at the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho exploded, killing three men and spreading radioactive contamination over thousands of acres. The incident was initially attributed to "human error" and a love triangle, but an investigation by Todd Tucker revealed a more complex story. Tucker's research, based on hundreds of pages of primary sources and interviews with survivors, uncovered a web of deceit and cover-up by the army and its contractors. The true cause of the accident was found to be a combination of poor engineering and uncontrolled passions. The incident marked the end of the army's nuclear program and paved the way for the navy's monopoly on military nuclear power. This book provides a fast-paced narrative history of the SL-1 incident and its significance in the development of nuclear power in the United States. It advocates for caution and accountability in harnessing nuclear energy, and offers a fresh perspective on a pivotal moment in American history.

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