About the book
Longing for the Bomb traces the unusual story of the first atomic city and the emergence of American nuclear culture. Tucked into the folds of Appalachia and kept off all commercial maps, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was created for the Manhattan Project by the U.S. government in the 1940s. Its workers labored at a breakneck pace, most aware only that their jobs were helping “the war effort.” The city has experienced the entire lifespan of the Atomic Age, from the fevered wartime enrichment of the uranium that fueled Little Boy, through a brief period of atomic utopianism after World War II when it began to brand itself as “The Atomic City,” to the anxieties of the Cold War, to the contradictory contemporary period of nuclear unease and atomic nostalgia. Oak Ridge’s story deepens our understanding of the complex relationship between America and its bombs.
Blending historiography and ethnography, Lindsey Freeman shows how a once-secret city is visibly caught in an uncertain present, no longer what it was historically yet still clinging to the hope of a nuclear future. It is a place where history, memory, and myth compete and conspire to tell the story of America’s atomic past and to explain the nuclear present.
Editions of Longing for the Bomb
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469622378
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469623177
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890845801
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890845795
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469622385
Read an Excerpt
Longing for the Bomb traces the unusual story of the first atomic city and the emergence of American nuclear culture. Tucked into the folds of Appalachia and kept off all commercial maps, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was created for the Manhattan Project by the U.S. government in the 1940s. Its workers labored at a breakneck pace, most aware only that their jobs were helping “the war effort.” The city has experienced the entire lifespan of the Atomic Age, from the fevered wartime enrichment of the uranium that fueled Little Boy, through a brief period of atomic utopianism after World War II when it began to brand itself as “The Atomic City,” to the anxieties of the Cold War, to the contradictory contemporary period of nuclear unease and atomic nostalgia. Oak Ridge’s story deepens our understanding of the complex relationship between America and its bombs.
Blending historiography and ethnography, Lindsey Freeman shows how a once-secret city is visibly caught in an uncertain present, no longer what it was historically yet still clinging to the hope of a nuclear future. It is a place where history, memory, and myth compete and conspire to tell the story of America’s atomic past and to explain the nuclear present.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Longing for the Bomb about?
Longing for the Bomb traces the unusual story of the first atomic city and the emergence of American nuclear culture. Tucked into the folds of Appalachia and kept off all commercial maps, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was created for the Manhattan Project by the U.S. government in the 1940s. Its workers labored at a breakneck pace, most aware only that their jobs were helping “the war effort.” The city has experienced the entire lifespan of the Atomic Age, from the fevered wartime enrichment of the uranium that fueled Little Boy, through a brief period of atomic utopianism after World War II when it began to brand itself as “The Atomic City,” to the anxieties of the Cold War, to the contradictory contemporary period of nuclear unease and atomic nostalgia. Oak Ridge’s story deepens our understanding of the complex relationship between America and its bombs.
Blending historiography and ethnography, Lindsey Freeman shows how a once-secret city is visibly caught in an uncertain present, no longer what it was historically yet still clinging to the hope of a nuclear future. It is a place where history, memory, and myth compete and conspire to tell the story of America’s atomic past and to explain the nuclear present.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Longing for the Bomb?
Society and Social Sciences > Sociology and anthropology > Sociology
Where can I read a sample of Longing for the Bomb?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469622378
How long is Longing for the Bomb and how many pages does it have?
Longing for the Bomb has 256 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Longing for the Bomb?
Lindsey A. Freeman
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Longing for the Bomb is available as paperback(ISBN 9781469622378) and ebook(ISBN 9781469623177) and ebook(ISBN 9798890845801) and ebook(ISBN 9798890845795) and ebook(ISBN 9781469622385)
Where can I buy Longing for the Bomb online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Longing for the Bomb from below
Where can I buy Longing for the Bomb?