Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb

I remember being in 10th grade World History and learning all about WWII and the atomic bomb. I also remember that my teacher could never really explain how such a devastating weapon functioned. She would simply say, "An atom splits and it explodes." Although I appreciate her attempt, I never understood how a thing as small as an atom could be split, and beyond that, how an atom could cause such a grand explosion. I tried Wikipedia but that just complicated things even more. I never truly understood the atomic bomb until I picked up this graphic novel.The graphic novel does a great job in explaining every single event that lead to the bomb's creation. It does it all chronologically, so page-flipping is not necessary. The book also introduces A LOT of names that you have probably never heard of before, but they are all tied to the events so it isn't pointless information. The book jumps from location to location with ease and it's hard to get lost since the author/artist makes good distinctions when the timeline jumps.Another aspect of this graphic novel that I really, really loved was that the science aspect of it (there's a lot of science in this graphic novel) is explained and depicted. Every step that there is to creating an atomic bomb and its explosion is drawn out. Unless you became a Chemistry Major after high school, then remembering all those concepts is difficult. I actually understood the science concepts because of his drawings.The author also ends the graphic novel with an opinion of his own, which is cool since most of the graphic novel was very fact-oriented.If I were back in high school I would have loved to read this book, not just because it has pictures, but because it is easy to follow, entertaining, and highly informative.

Jonathan Fetter-Vorm's "Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb" traces the origins of atomic theory, the early work developing a working knowledge of critical mass, the Trinity test, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the early Cold War, all while telling the story through the framing device of Robert Oppenheimer preparing the Trinity test for July 16, 1945. Fetter-Vorm's art brilliantly condenses complex concepts, such as atomic theory, in a manner that's both dramatic and easy to understand. He also knows when to let the art speak for itself, such as in his portrayal of the aftermath of Nagasaki. As an historian, Fetter-Vorm echoes the conclusions of John Earl Haynes when he writes, "Even before this world war had ended, the Cold War had begun" (pg. 93). As both an introduction to the history of the early atomic age and an insightful volume in its own right, Fetter-Vorm's "Trinity" belongs on the reading list of Cold War historians and students alike.

I am a former X-ray & CT tech. I have had lots of college classes & continuing education regarding radiation & atomic physics, however, I was struck by how much radiation physics made more sense to me because of this book. I have also had several classes in chemistry but chemistry comes much more difficult for me versus physics however, because of this book, some basic chemistry concepts that I know I have been taught many times finally sunk in. Never discount how much you can learn from a graphic novel.The science part of this book is fun & exciting to learn (imo) but the last 1/3 of the book is dealing with the reality of dropping the atomic bomb & how it changed the culture of our world forever. It also discusses how, even today, we still wrestle with the philosophical & moral implications of this new creation and how our bodies, even today, tell the story of how humans have changed life on this planet forever.

Although not on par, as information is concerned with a formal history, it gives an overall idea of the people involved in the development of the A bombs used against Japan, the science involved, It shows how people from very different origins and expertise worked together to accomplish a feat that just made the bombs available towards the end of the war. It also glosses over the feelings of some of the scientists when confronted by the implications of their creation. -the graphics are excellent and convey an ambience you could not otherwise relate to if just reading the plain text.

What a book! Took a monumental historical and scientific moment and simplified it. The first atomic bomb, Fetter-Vorm breaks it down in terms of people, science, war, politics using simple dialogue, powerful illustrations and what a joy it was to read.Educational as well as enjoyable, I highly recommend this graphic novel.

A picture is worth a thousand words. This book provides with enough information textually and graphically to gain a rudimentary understanding of the events leading to the development of the A-bomb.

I bought Trinity to read for fun, but as soon as my modern physics professor started talking about nuclear, I understood what he was saying because of this book. Though the book does explain the science behind the atomic bomb, it also focuses on how the event happened e.g. why President Truman allowed the funding, why America chose to use this new weapon. The science it explains isn't hard to follow. Fetter-Vorm did an excellent job in explaining the concepts without dumb-ing it down. I highly recommend Trinity to anyone who has some interest in the end of WWII.

It explains how humans made the first nuclear weapons. How they deployed them. And what were the consequences - consequences that remain with us. Even today there are world leaders threatening the human race with nuclear destruction.Trinity provides us with a succinct, accurate and important message.

Gran libro que relata la ceación de la primer bomba atómica, todas sus implicaciones para su realización. Explicado de una manera sencilla y entretenida

O livro traz uma história ilustrada da produção das primeiras bombas atômicas nos Estados Unidos durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial. A história é fascinante e rica em tramas e suspense. A única coisa a se ter em mente é que a ciência por trás da história é explicada de forma breve, então é bom já ter alguma noção dos conceitos explicados.

A great account on the development of a fission bomb from a scientific and historical perspective.

El cómic ofrece una buena historia con buena temática pero para gustos colores. Buena calidad y precio del libro en si.