Man, I wish that statement was true...
When I checked out the premiere volume of the Manhattan Projects, I had no idea that it starred characters such as Einstein and Oppenheimer. It was just dumb luck that I also checked out this graphic novel about the development of the atomic bomb. But after I read the Manhattan Projects, it made perfect sense to read this next. But I read the fiction graphic novel over a week ago, what took me so long to finish the non-fiction edition?
Even though Fallout is a graphic novel, it is packed with lengthy excerpts of letters, journals, and official testimonies. And when I say lengthy, I'm not lying. A report on the loyalty of Dr. Oppenheimer was over 8 pages long. Even longer was the notes and 'director's cut' commentary at the end of the book which was over 30-pages long. (It was that section that took me forever to complete.)
This book starts from the very beginning of the Manhattan project with Leo Szilard employing Albert Einstein to write a letter to President Roosevelt asking him to beat the Nazis to the development of the atom bomb. It then moves to Chicago, where scientists build the first atomic pile underneath a squash court at the University of Chicago. (Imagine the disaster that would have happened if that have overloaded!) Finally, we wind up at the research base in Los Alamos, New Mexico where the first nuke was tested.
The last half of the book focuses on the fallout of Truman's action to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When you build a weapon, the natural inclination is to make it better and badder. Thus, the team at Los Alamos is tasked with building the Hydrogen Bomb, which makes the first nukes detonated look like firecrackers.
Over time both Szilard and Oppenheimer become repentant over creating the Bomb. Their reluctance to continue building more powerful nukes causes the men to become the subject of investigations over their loyalty to the US. As a result, Oppenheimer is brought before the Atomic Commission and must restore his good name or face becoming blackballed by losing his security clearance.
Fallout was an eye-opening experience at the development of the nuclear bomb. It was so good, I'm inspired to read and research more about the Manhattan Project. Jim Ottaviani, the book's author, at the end of this book recommends to readers that they should read Maus if they only read another graphic novel about the horrors of World War II (Challenge accepted... Yes, I've never read Maus. But I will now!) Well, aside from that classic, if you want to learn more about the horrors of nuclear war, it's history, and the harsh impact of spending a lifetime working with radioactive materials- then you must read Fallout!
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars (Only because that previously mention notes section is just so gosh darn long. But that too IS worth reading.)
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