Restricted Data
THE HISTORY OF NUCLEAR SECRECY IN THE UNITED STATES
University
of Chicago Press, 2021
https://alexwellerstein.com/writing/books/restricted-data/
“A
MONUMENTAL WORK” — Daniel Ellsberg
The
American atomic bomb was born in secrecy. From the moment scientists first
conceived of its possibility to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and
beyond, there were efforts to control the spread of nuclear information and the
newly discovered scientific facts that made such powerful weapons possible. The
totalizing scientific secrecy that the atomic bomb appeared to demand was new,
unusual, and very nearly unprecedented. It was foreign to both American science
and American democracy—and potentially incompatible with both. From the
beginning, this secrecy was controversial, and it was always contested. The
atomic bomb was not merely the application of science to war, but the result of
decades of investment in scientific education, infrastructure, and global
collaboration. If secrecy became the norm, how would science survive?
Drawing on
troves of declassified files, including records released by the government for
the first time through the author’s efforts, Restricted Data traces the complex
evolution of the US nuclear secrecy regime from the first whisper of the atomic
bomb through the mounting tensions of the Cold War and into the early
twenty-first century. A compelling history of powerful ideas at war, it tells a
story that feels distinctly American: rich, sprawling, and built on the
conflict between high-minded idealism and ugly, fearful power.
Limited
time offer: For a limited time (when it’s over, I’ll remove this notice — I am
still honoring this as of spring 2023) I am selling signed and inscribed
editions of the book for no additional cost. To get a signed edition, buy the
book through my local Hoboken bookstore, Little City Books, and make sure you
indicate in the notes field that you would like it signed. If you would like it
inscribed (“To X…”) please also put that in the notes field. You will have to
pay for shipping this way, and it will take longer to arrive (because I only go
by the store once a week to sign any books that have been ordered), but there
are no additional fees.
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