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Atomic Women: The Untold Stories of the Scientists Who Helped Create the Nuclear Bomb
Bomb meets Code Girls in this nonfiction narrative about the little-known female scientists who were critical to the invention of the atomic bomb during World War II.
They were leaning over the edge of the unknown and afraid of what they would discover there—meet the World War II female scientists who worked in the secret sites of the Manhattan Project. Recruited not only from labs and universities from across the United States but also from countries abroad, these scientists helped in—and often initiated—the development of the atomic bomb, taking starring roles in the Manhattan Project. In fact, their involvement was critical to its success, though many of them were not fully aware of the consequences.
The atomic women include:
Lise Meitner and Irène Joliot-Curie (daughter of Marie Curie), who laid the groundwork for the Manhattan Project from Europe
Elizabeth Rona, the foremost expert in plutonium, who gave rise to the "Fat Man" and "Little Boy," the bombs dropped over Japan
Leona Woods, Elizabeth Graves, and Joan Hinton, who were inspired by European scientific ideals but carved their own paths
This book explores not just the critical steps toward the creation of a successful nuclear bomb, but also the moral implications of such an invention.
They were leaning over the edge of the unknown and afraid of what they would discover there—meet the World War II female scientists who worked in the secret sites of the Manhattan Project. Recruited not only from labs and universities from across the United States but also from countries abroad, these scientists helped in—and often initiated—the development of the atomic bomb, taking starring roles in the Manhattan Project. In fact, their involvement was critical to its success, though many of them were not fully aware of the consequences.
The atomic women include:
Lise Meitner and Irène Joliot-Curie (daughter of Marie Curie), who laid the groundwork for the Manhattan Project from Europe
Elizabeth Rona, the foremost expert in plutonium, who gave rise to the "Fat Man" and "Little Boy," the bombs dropped over Japan
Leona Woods, Elizabeth Graves, and Joan Hinton, who were inspired by European scientific ideals but carved their own paths
This book explores not just the critical steps toward the creation of a successful nuclear bomb, but also the moral implications of such an invention.
265 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2020
About the author
Roseanne Montillo
7 books96 followersRoseanne Montillo is the author of two other works of nonfiction, The Lady and her Monsters and The Wilderness of Ruin. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, where she taught courses on the intersection of literature and history. She lives outside of Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
June 14, 2020
*4.5
There were a lot of characters and it was slightly hard to keep track of all of them. However, the author did a great job of telling each characters part in a way that each woman was a distinct person. I loved the way the stories of all the women were weaved together and the effortless way the book switched between people. The book tells the story of not just the Manhattan Project, but the story of atomic and nuclear science. It begins with Marie Curie and ends with the detonation of the nuclear bombs over Japan. What I loved the most was the way it highlighted the countless women that contributed so greatly to the project. It showed exactly what these women added and how without these amazing, knowledgeable women, the men we commonly credit with the success of the Manhattan Project couldn’t have occurred. I felt frustration for the women who were not credited by the men who prospered upon their input. This book was so amazing because it shed light on the contributions of women in nuclear science that shouldn’t be forgotten. And even so, there are so many scientists that weren’t mentioned in this book, but this was a great start. I learned a lot more about the Manhattan Project and how all these scientists came to be in the United States to share their knowledge.
There were a lot of characters and it was slightly hard to keep track of all of them. However, the author did a great job of telling each characters part in a way that each woman was a distinct person. I loved the way the stories of all the women were weaved together and the effortless way the book switched between people. The book tells the story of not just the Manhattan Project, but the story of atomic and nuclear science. It begins with Marie Curie and ends with the detonation of the nuclear bombs over Japan. What I loved the most was the way it highlighted the countless women that contributed so greatly to the project. It showed exactly what these women added and how without these amazing, knowledgeable women, the men we commonly credit with the success of the Manhattan Project couldn’t have occurred. I felt frustration for the women who were not credited by the men who prospered upon their input. This book was so amazing because it shed light on the contributions of women in nuclear science that shouldn’t be forgotten. And even so, there are so many scientists that weren’t mentioned in this book, but this was a great start. I learned a lot more about the Manhattan Project and how all these scientists came to be in the United States to share their knowledge.
January 21, 2024
This book was a perfect introduction to the women behind the bomb, especially for people like me who had never really heard anything about them. I was glad to see pictures included at the end of them all, as well.
It’s really sad how a lot of these same issues persist for women in male dominated fields and I felt like this would be a great companion read to Lessons in Chemistry or after viewing Oppenheimer.
It’s really sad how a lot of these same issues persist for women in male dominated fields and I felt like this would be a great companion read to Lessons in Chemistry or after viewing Oppenheimer.
January 18, 2022
A very quick and easy read about women who were ahead of time in the field of science but were oppressed by patriarchy or their ideas plagiarised by others intent on the "Nobel Prize.' Wish I knew this when I chose to study Physics in my final years of high school and my text book was full of pictures of Enrico Fermi and Co.
November 20, 2019
(I have the advanced copy!)
Personally this book took me a long time to read. It switched from characters all the time and wasn’t done in an easy to understand way. It also didn’t really have a story line, which I know that it is nonfiction but if the events and people were changed in order it could possibly be better. I did however think that the information in the book was correct and explained well. Overall this book was great at giving the female scientists the correct acknowledgements.
Personally this book took me a long time to read. It switched from characters all the time and wasn’t done in an easy to understand way. It also didn’t really have a story line, which I know that it is nonfiction but if the events and people were changed in order it could possibly be better. I did however think that the information in the book was correct and explained well. Overall this book was great at giving the female scientists the correct acknowledgements.
June 23, 2020
Marie Curie is a badass.
February 26, 2024
As an aspiring science teacher, I feel a lot of personal responsibility to learn the histories of science that were not included in my own education — I should not let the limits of my own educational history be an excuse for me to reproduce the inequities present in how we celebrate, and critique, the enterprise of science. So I appreciated this book in that it provides perspective on the role that female scientists had on the development of the atomic bomb, a topic that seems very “buzzworthy” right now since the release of the Oppenheimer biopic. Representation in science (and science education) matters, which is why learning this information was so important to me.
What I appreciate about the book is its accessibility in language. I can imagine a middle school student picking up this book and finding it readable — which is important! Science biographies/nonfiction are sometimes so inaccessible because of the way they describe content matter and/or because they’re written in a dry tone, but this one was well written in that regard. Some of the narrative nonfiction choices weren’t my personal favorite, but overall, the writing style was good. This book, though, is a very broad overview - it’s not a detailed history. So some might find that a little unsatisfactory.
Also, I appreciated how the book did not necessarily sensationalize the work of the atomic bomb but was able to acknowledge the intellectually profound work of women in a way that honored their contributions but did not ignore the moral qualms that they felt about the work they did.
Anywho, long review, but will definitely include this on my media shelf in my future classroom. It may not have been my favorite science nonfiction read, but it was an important one, which is why it’s getting 4 stars.
What I appreciate about the book is its accessibility in language. I can imagine a middle school student picking up this book and finding it readable — which is important! Science biographies/nonfiction are sometimes so inaccessible because of the way they describe content matter and/or because they’re written in a dry tone, but this one was well written in that regard. Some of the narrative nonfiction choices weren’t my personal favorite, but overall, the writing style was good. This book, though, is a very broad overview - it’s not a detailed history. So some might find that a little unsatisfactory.
Also, I appreciated how the book did not necessarily sensationalize the work of the atomic bomb but was able to acknowledge the intellectually profound work of women in a way that honored their contributions but did not ignore the moral qualms that they felt about the work they did.
Anywho, long review, but will definitely include this on my media shelf in my future classroom. It may not have been my favorite science nonfiction read, but it was an important one, which is why it’s getting 4 stars.
January 12, 2021
The author writes about a lot of women and it is hard to follow them all. The science parts went over my head. Those two points make it 3 stars for me. However, let's not forget how important women's work has been in our progress!
Aside from women not being rightfully recognized for their important work, this book made me feel weird. Reading about scientists creating an atomic weapon that I as the reader know what's going to happen makes me uncomfortable. Some even celebrating after the dreadful day...gives me an eerie feeling.
Side note - surprised that my 10 year old cousin chose this book for us to read for our book club. Can't wait to see her potential
Aside from women not being rightfully recognized for their important work, this book made me feel weird. Reading about scientists creating an atomic weapon that I as the reader know what's going to happen makes me uncomfortable. Some even celebrating after the dreadful day...gives me an eerie feeling.
Side note - surprised that my 10 year old cousin chose this book for us to read for our book club. Can't wait to see her potential
January 7, 2024
This book was a very quick read for me, kept me interested and avoided too much detail. I never got bored of reading it! Would probably have understood more of the scientific aspect if I was well versed in science but Montillo kept it basic enough for most readers to understand. Would definitely recommend!
February 7, 2022
I learned so much about the women behind the journey and science of the invention of the atomic bomb during WWII. I am always in awe and it is extremely inspiring to read about women who are a part of history!
May 8, 2023
I loved learning so many new things about this topic, especially since I didn't know much about it in the first place. Untold stories came to life in this captivating book. It wasn't a heavy, complicated read, instead simple and quick.
March 10, 2024
A Christmas present read from Mason 💗
I would go 3.5 for this well researched, female lead over view on atomic matters. There were a ton of stories within stories which I find in many WWII reads. They amaze me every time. Hats off to these ladies!
I would go 3.5 for this well researched, female lead over view on atomic matters. There were a ton of stories within stories which I find in many WWII reads. They amaze me every time. Hats off to these ladies!
September 30, 2021
4.5, writing was a little confusing at times and the story didn’t really flow very well but oh boy did I learn a lot. This made my feminist heart happy.
August 4, 2022
Although written with a young audience in mind it is extraordinary to discover the lives of the amazing scientists who contributed to create the nuclear bomb and have been neglected by many historians because they were women.
December 13, 2019
The book was very short, only 200 pages, and written in a very simple, factual way, making it easy for me to read, but nothing in it particularly memorable. I was unable to keep track of all the scientists named in this book at points, which was annoying, as they’d pop up at random times. But all in all, it was an enjoyable book and a nice introduction for me to an event that I did not know very much about, putting the focus on women.
May 12, 2023
We have all heard of Marie Curie and her work with radium. Women scientists were not given the same acknowledgment or credit for their work in many other scientific fields. If it were not for the work of these six scientists, Lise Meitner, Irene Joliot-Curie ( Marie Curie’s daughter), Elizabeth Rona, Leona Woods,Elizabeth Graves, and Joan Hinton, all a part of the Manhattan Project, the atomic bomb would not have been developed so quickly. The early work done by these women was done in mainly in Europe universities and labs. Their many discoveries were key to many parts of the work being done to create the Atomic Bomb. A very interesting book that shows their struggles with gender discrimination and the ethics of science, along dealing with the aftermath of the most destructive weapon ever which was used to end WWII. I enjoyed this book.
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September 11, 2020September 11, 2020
Review of Roseane Montillo’s “Atomic Women”
I recently finished reading the book “Atomic Women” and wish to state how much I enjoyed it. It provides a praiseworthy complement to Eleanor Jette’s “Inside Box 1663,” the story of the Los Alamos wives during the bomb’s creation. The book will have a place of honor on our bookshelf next to Jette’s.
I have one major quibble. The tone of the book is negative about radiation, ignoring its attribute of being a double-edged sword. The varieties of nuclear medicine have saved many many more lives than the 300,000 plus casualties (my estimate) from the two atomic bombs. I would have appreciated seeing a photo of a person undergoing an MRI procedure beside the picture of the Hiroshima blast.
And of course there is the subject of nuclear power that I am not about to address here.
As others have said, the book is essentially divided into two parts--development of radiation theory and creation of the atomic weapon. The first section fleshed out my knowledge of the history of the weapon’s birth. I had some acquaintance with aspects of the second section, and it is this that the following treats.
I am sure legions of the book’s readers have noted the error on page 143 where it speaks of 136 Palace Avenue in Los Alamos. It of course is in Santa Fe. That’s where Dorothy McKibbin held court and decided who could enter the forbidden city. Let me add one more voice to the chorus.
Another error of the same type occurs on page 215, where the book reports celebrations at Los Alamos’ ”better-known restaurants.” At that time, Los Alamos had no restaurants, much less better-known ones. The Army mess halls definitely lacked class. (Sadly, the city today still has no really fine eating places (my opinion)).
At another point, the story is completely wrong. The book states the accident that killed Harry Daghlian occurred “shortly after arriving.” It’s not clear whether the arrival refers to Hinton or Daghlian. Hinton arrived at Los Alamos in February or March of 1944 and Daghlian in either late 1943 or early 1944 (sources differ). The accident occurred August 21, 1945, about a year and a half after both had arrived at Los Alamos. This date also followed the occurrences of Trinity, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Japanese surrender, so comments alluding to doubts of possible effects are misplaced.
The book also states that the Manhattan Project Medical Section was established subsequent to the accident. This too is incorrect. In November of 1943 Robert Oppenheimer appointed Louis Hemelman as leader of the Health Group at Los Alamos (Hawkins, 1946), so precautions were being taken from the laboratory’s earliest days. This must be the organization identified in the book as The Manhattan Project Medical Section. Although the quantitative effects of low-level radiation were unknown then, scientists in the field were cognizant that there existed hazards associated with radiation. There were many examples that had occurred in previous decades. Especially tragic was the sordid story of the radium girls. (Seventy-five yeas later, dismally, ignorance of the low-level effects is rampant and there remains no consensus on the subject.)
The story of Joan Hinton is a fascinating one, even more so than the error-filled report in the book. Idealist to the core, she was extremely distressed by the two bombings. She had assumed there was to be a demonstration to the Japanese before use of the weapon. She was undoubtedly among staff members described in the book as “those who wished the bomb had never come to fruition” (p. 215). Then the accident two weeks later must have been close to devastating. Harry Daghlian and Joan were two members of an elite team of about eight that worked with the Los Alamos Canyon graphite-moderated nuclear reactor. They had been working together for over a year and a half when the accident occurred. The result on Joan undoubtedly accelerated her personal conversion into an anti-nuclear activist.
In contrast, the author’s adulatory comments about Leona (Woods Marshall) Libby’s critical contributions to the project are of unblemished accuracy. From early in the weapon’s development until its final success her technical expertise was of signal benefit.
In addition to further learning about the history of creating nuclear weapons, the stories brought to me several nostalgic memories. These were reminiscences of contacts (though remote) I had with some of the people spoken of at various points in the book.
There is the mention of Stan Ulam (p. 126). As an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado, my office in the Engineering Building was on the same floor as the mathematics professor Stanislaw Ulam. We passed one another in the corridors with some frequency. It is an embarrassment that I was ignorant of his accomplishments and prestige and failed the opportunity to become acquainted.
On page 76 the name George Gamow appears. While at Boulder one time I enjoyed attending a seminar by the renowned physicist. In a similar vein the book mentions Willard Libby (P. 183), and this recalled the memory of a seminar I relished by the Nobel-Prize winning chemist.
At that time Leona Libby was on the Physics faculty at Boulder. I do not recall attending any of her lectures. An omission to be regretted.
The book alludes to Edward Teller at different points. My only experience with him was attending a (probably classified) seminar at Los Alamos Laboratory while I was a staff member there.
In sum, a most pleasant and interesting read.
Lee Brown
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Reference:
Hawkins, David, “Manhattan District History--Project Y--the Los Alamos Project. Vol 1: Inception through August 1945 (written 1946-47)(.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-h...) ,”
Review of Roseane Montillo’s “Atomic Women”
I recently finished reading the book “Atomic Women” and wish to state how much I enjoyed it. It provides a praiseworthy complement to Eleanor Jette’s “Inside Box 1663,” the story of the Los Alamos wives during the bomb’s creation. The book will have a place of honor on our bookshelf next to Jette’s.
I have one major quibble. The tone of the book is negative about radiation, ignoring its attribute of being a double-edged sword. The varieties of nuclear medicine have saved many many more lives than the 300,000 plus casualties (my estimate) from the two atomic bombs. I would have appreciated seeing a photo of a person undergoing an MRI procedure beside the picture of the Hiroshima blast.
And of course there is the subject of nuclear power that I am not about to address here.
As others have said, the book is essentially divided into two parts--development of radiation theory and creation of the atomic weapon. The first section fleshed out my knowledge of the history of the weapon’s birth. I had some acquaintance with aspects of the second section, and it is this that the following treats.
I am sure legions of the book’s readers have noted the error on page 143 where it speaks of 136 Palace Avenue in Los Alamos. It of course is in Santa Fe. That’s where Dorothy McKibbin held court and decided who could enter the forbidden city. Let me add one more voice to the chorus.
Another error of the same type occurs on page 215, where the book reports celebrations at Los Alamos’ ”better-known restaurants.” At that time, Los Alamos had no restaurants, much less better-known ones. The Army mess halls definitely lacked class. (Sadly, the city today still has no really fine eating places (my opinion)).
At another point, the story is completely wrong. The book states the accident that killed Harry Daghlian occurred “shortly after arriving.” It’s not clear whether the arrival refers to Hinton or Daghlian. Hinton arrived at Los Alamos in February or March of 1944 and Daghlian in either late 1943 or early 1944 (sources differ). The accident occurred August 21, 1945, about a year and a half after both had arrived at Los Alamos. This date also followed the occurrences of Trinity, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Japanese surrender, so comments alluding to doubts of possible effects are misplaced.
The book also states that the Manhattan Project Medical Section was established subsequent to the accident. This too is incorrect. In November of 1943 Robert Oppenheimer appointed Louis Hemelman as leader of the Health Group at Los Alamos (Hawkins, 1946), so precautions were being taken from the laboratory’s earliest days. This must be the organization identified in the book as The Manhattan Project Medical Section. Although the quantitative effects of low-level radiation were unknown then, scientists in the field were cognizant that there existed hazards associated with radiation. There were many examples that had occurred in previous decades. Especially tragic was the sordid story of the radium girls. (Seventy-five yeas later, dismally, ignorance of the low-level effects is rampant and there remains no consensus on the subject.)
The story of Joan Hinton is a fascinating one, even more so than the error-filled report in the book. Idealist to the core, she was extremely distressed by the two bombings. She had assumed there was to be a demonstration to the Japanese before use of the weapon. She was undoubtedly among staff members described in the book as “those who wished the bomb had never come to fruition” (p. 215). Then the accident two weeks later must have been close to devastating. Harry Daghlian and Joan were two members of an elite team of about eight that worked with the Los Alamos Canyon graphite-moderated nuclear reactor. They had been working together for over a year and a half when the accident occurred. The result on Joan undoubtedly accelerated her personal conversion into an anti-nuclear activist.
In contrast, the author’s adulatory comments about Leona (Woods Marshall) Libby’s critical contributions to the project are of unblemished accuracy. From early in the weapon’s development until its final success her technical expertise was of signal benefit.
In addition to further learning about the history of creating nuclear weapons, the stories brought to me several nostalgic memories. These were reminiscences of contacts (though remote) I had with some of the people spoken of at various points in the book.
There is the mention of Stan Ulam (p. 126). As an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado, my office in the Engineering Building was on the same floor as the mathematics professor Stanislaw Ulam. We passed one another in the corridors with some frequency. It is an embarrassment that I was ignorant of his accomplishments and prestige and failed the opportunity to become acquainted.
On page 76 the name George Gamow appears. While at Boulder one time I enjoyed attending a seminar by the renowned physicist. In a similar vein the book mentions Willard Libby (P. 183), and this recalled the memory of a seminar I relished by the Nobel-Prize winning chemist.
At that time Leona Libby was on the Physics faculty at Boulder. I do not recall attending any of her lectures. An omission to be regretted.
The book alludes to Edward Teller at different points. My only experience with him was attending a (probably classified) seminar at Los Alamos Laboratory while I was a staff member there.
In sum, a most pleasant and interesting read.
Lee Brown
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Reference:
Hawkins, David, “Manhattan District History--Project Y--the Los Alamos Project. Vol 1: Inception through August 1945 (written 1946-47)(.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-h...) ,”
March 25, 2020
@KidLitExchange
Thank you to @littlebrownyoungreaders and @roseannemontillo for sharing an advance copy of Atomic Women: The Untold Stories of the Scientists Who Helped Create the Nuclear Bomb by Roseanne Montillo. It is set to release May 19, 2020. All opinions are my own.
Atomic Women focuses on the female scientists who were either part of the Manhattan Project during WWII or who made a significant contribution to the science world that led to the creation of the first atomic bomb. The book is divided into two sections: A European Beginning and Bomb Making in America. Women featured in the book include Lise Meitner, Elizabeth Rona, Leona Woods, Elizabeth Graves, and Joan Hinton. The book looks at the scientific journey that led to the creation of the bomb as well as its moral implications.
I enjoyed learning about so many female scientists and the contributions they made. The Manhattan Project is something I learned about in school but I only knew names like Oppenheimer, Fermi, and Groves. I wasn't aware that so many women worked at the Manhattan Project and/or played a critical role in the development of ideas that led to the work at Los Alamos. The book seems well researched and is informative, but the structure is confusing at times. The book moves in a somewhat chronological order (though it does back track at times) starting with scientists like Marie Curie, Lise Meitner, and Elizabeth Rona and their work in Europe before crossing the pond and discussing the actual building of the bomb. Several of the women and men discussed in the novel appear in both sections of the book and the switching between individuals, time, and places can sometimes be disorienting. The book came across more as the history of the atomic bomb with a focus on the contributions of female scientists, rather than a book about the female scientists themselves. I also was a little disappointed to see that there were no photos in the book. I would have loved to see photos of the various scientists, their labs, experiments, etc. Overall, I felt I learned quite a bit about the time period and the women who helped develop the atomic bomb.
Thank you to @littlebrownyoungreaders and @roseannemontillo for sharing an advance copy of Atomic Women: The Untold Stories of the Scientists Who Helped Create the Nuclear Bomb by Roseanne Montillo. It is set to release May 19, 2020. All opinions are my own.
Atomic Women focuses on the female scientists who were either part of the Manhattan Project during WWII or who made a significant contribution to the science world that led to the creation of the first atomic bomb. The book is divided into two sections: A European Beginning and Bomb Making in America. Women featured in the book include Lise Meitner, Elizabeth Rona, Leona Woods, Elizabeth Graves, and Joan Hinton. The book looks at the scientific journey that led to the creation of the bomb as well as its moral implications.
I enjoyed learning about so many female scientists and the contributions they made. The Manhattan Project is something I learned about in school but I only knew names like Oppenheimer, Fermi, and Groves. I wasn't aware that so many women worked at the Manhattan Project and/or played a critical role in the development of ideas that led to the work at Los Alamos. The book seems well researched and is informative, but the structure is confusing at times. The book moves in a somewhat chronological order (though it does back track at times) starting with scientists like Marie Curie, Lise Meitner, and Elizabeth Rona and their work in Europe before crossing the pond and discussing the actual building of the bomb. Several of the women and men discussed in the novel appear in both sections of the book and the switching between individuals, time, and places can sometimes be disorienting. The book came across more as the history of the atomic bomb with a focus on the contributions of female scientists, rather than a book about the female scientists themselves. I also was a little disappointed to see that there were no photos in the book. I would have loved to see photos of the various scientists, their labs, experiments, etc. Overall, I felt I learned quite a bit about the time period and the women who helped develop the atomic bomb.
August 30, 2023
Elizabeth "Diz" Graves, Lisa Meitner, Leona Woods, Irene Joliot-Curie, Joan Hinton, Maria Goeppert-Mayer are some of many women scientists who helped with the development of the atomic bomb who you've never heard of. Thank you Roseanne Montillo for letting us know about them.
Men are given their honest due in this book as well. On the one hand, you have men like Otto Hahn, who was happy to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944, forgetting to mention his partner, Lisa Meitner, without whom he would have never understood that what happened in his experiment was nuclear fission or the ramifications for science and energy creation. On the other, you have men like Pierre Curie, who when he found out he and Henri Becquerel were to receive the Nobel Prize, insisted that his wife, Marie, deserved it as well. Time and again, as the Nobel committee and others treated Marie like an assistant, Pierre informed that she was the one who had done the bulk of the work, and it was he that was more of an assistant to her.
Don't misunderstand. This is not an anti- male book by any means. Montillo has just done her research and presented the environment and challenges of the women as they were. Montillo does a very good job of presenting their stories in a cohesive narrative that tells you how much these women contributed to science despite sexism and all manner of walls being placed in their way.
I really enjoyed this book and learning about these women. I wish that we would hold more women up as examples for girls, but even today female contributions are ignored. Even recently, if you watched the Christopher Nolan film, "Oppenheimer" you would think that other than spouses, there were no women contributing to the development of the atomic bomb. Yet women were 11% of the workforce at Los Alamos alone.
Thank you Roseanne for a very interesting read and for enlightenment about these women's accomplishments. I highly recommend this book for anyone, but especially for anyone raising a young girl who shows an interest in science. I will be seeking out more of Roseanne's writing!
Men are given their honest due in this book as well. On the one hand, you have men like Otto Hahn, who was happy to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944, forgetting to mention his partner, Lisa Meitner, without whom he would have never understood that what happened in his experiment was nuclear fission or the ramifications for science and energy creation. On the other, you have men like Pierre Curie, who when he found out he and Henri Becquerel were to receive the Nobel Prize, insisted that his wife, Marie, deserved it as well. Time and again, as the Nobel committee and others treated Marie like an assistant, Pierre informed that she was the one who had done the bulk of the work, and it was he that was more of an assistant to her.
Don't misunderstand. This is not an anti- male book by any means. Montillo has just done her research and presented the environment and challenges of the women as they were. Montillo does a very good job of presenting their stories in a cohesive narrative that tells you how much these women contributed to science despite sexism and all manner of walls being placed in their way.
I really enjoyed this book and learning about these women. I wish that we would hold more women up as examples for girls, but even today female contributions are ignored. Even recently, if you watched the Christopher Nolan film, "Oppenheimer" you would think that other than spouses, there were no women contributing to the development of the atomic bomb. Yet women were 11% of the workforce at Los Alamos alone.
Thank you Roseanne for a very interesting read and for enlightenment about these women's accomplishments. I highly recommend this book for anyone, but especially for anyone raising a young girl who shows an interest in science. I will be seeking out more of Roseanne's writing!
January 31, 2023
3.5
A very informative and insightful look at the development of the atomic bomb, focused on the women who worked on not just the bomb itself but on all the scientific discoveries that preceded and enabled it to come to fruition. The book felt a little dry at times as a narrative, and those not particularly science-minded may find it a bit of a slog. The author did her best to keep the writing friendly and readable, and did a decent job, considering the subject matter. I particularly appreciated the writer's considerations of the morality involved and how the women (and sometimes the men) involved felt about their contributions as the use and impact of their work became more apparent. I had not realized the bomb was developed so quickly through the war years, so there were several interesting tidbits of history embedded in the book for me. Others have commented that the characters are difficult to keep straight and this is true, particularly because the timeline is not always precisely linear. Again, I feel like the author did the best she could with the material she was working with, considering that she was not attempting to write a story so much as chronicle the work and biographies of the women on the project, whose contributions were ignored, downplayed or overlooked. A good resource for people interested in this particular bit of history. Give to readers who enjoyed Sheinkin's Bomb for more information.
A very informative and insightful look at the development of the atomic bomb, focused on the women who worked on not just the bomb itself but on all the scientific discoveries that preceded and enabled it to come to fruition. The book felt a little dry at times as a narrative, and those not particularly science-minded may find it a bit of a slog. The author did her best to keep the writing friendly and readable, and did a decent job, considering the subject matter. I particularly appreciated the writer's considerations of the morality involved and how the women (and sometimes the men) involved felt about their contributions as the use and impact of their work became more apparent. I had not realized the bomb was developed so quickly through the war years, so there were several interesting tidbits of history embedded in the book for me. Others have commented that the characters are difficult to keep straight and this is true, particularly because the timeline is not always precisely linear. Again, I feel like the author did the best she could with the material she was working with, considering that she was not attempting to write a story so much as chronicle the work and biographies of the women on the project, whose contributions were ignored, downplayed or overlooked. A good resource for people interested in this particular bit of history. Give to readers who enjoyed Sheinkin's Bomb for more information.
December 27, 2023
For the research and background: 1/5. Annoyed because this was meant to fill the gaps in history but only did so with the white women in science history. Missing Madame Wu, notably, whose vital research into uranium isotopes was not even mentioned. I appreciated the effort but execution was incomplete.
I also think some basic description of the physics was missing. It is hard to comprehend the scope and importance of the different contributions. I have a physics degree and know this history but even then, found the mention of scientific discovery non linear and hard to follow. The timeliness and photos at the end were probably more useful to the story than the narrative.
For writing and storytelling: 3/5. Mostly engaging and the personal lives do add depth to the physicists. The organization confused me as the book starts at the end and time is not linear. Things are repeated; other facts seem to be missing or lack logical flow. I also have a few nits with respect to supposed feminist writing, e.g. saying things were "manned" and would have wished for better editing there!
I think I am being harsh since the book is meant for teens and can appreciate the general tone and balanced nuance the book attempts in sharing the scientific discovery vs moral ramifications. I think the book could have benefitted from some better editing, appendices with biographical summaries, scientific and historical consultation, and better organization.
I also think some basic description of the physics was missing. It is hard to comprehend the scope and importance of the different contributions. I have a physics degree and know this history but even then, found the mention of scientific discovery non linear and hard to follow. The timeliness and photos at the end were probably more useful to the story than the narrative.
For writing and storytelling: 3/5. Mostly engaging and the personal lives do add depth to the physicists. The organization confused me as the book starts at the end and time is not linear. Things are repeated; other facts seem to be missing or lack logical flow. I also have a few nits with respect to supposed feminist writing, e.g. saying things were "manned" and would have wished for better editing there!
I think I am being harsh since the book is meant for teens and can appreciate the general tone and balanced nuance the book attempts in sharing the scientific discovery vs moral ramifications. I think the book could have benefitted from some better editing, appendices with biographical summaries, scientific and historical consultation, and better organization.
January 23, 2023
I really wanted to like this book but it fell so far short of the other excellent books I've read about the contribution of women to the Manhattan Project and the space race.
First, the organization or lack thereof was distracting. The story wasn't told linearly and few dates were given as we jumped among the women's stories.
Second, I think Ms. Montillo assumed all of her readers understood how the bomb worked. She used many terms that, with a PhD in physics, I was vaguely familiar with but certainly could have used a refresher in, such as "pile" and "chain reaction". It was hard to understand the importance of the women scientists's contributions without a passing understanding of the science itself.
Third, Ms. Montillo's evidence of what the women closest to the construction of the actual bomb contributed is scant. I'm still not entirely sure what Leona Woods contributed.
Finally, EVERY man in this book is referred to by his last name (e.g. "Oppenheimer", "Hahn") while EVERY WOMAN IS REFERED TO BY HER FIRST NAME (e.g. "Lise" or "Elizabeth"). Why? Should I show less respect for the women by being overly familiar?
This book had so much potential but was really just a collection of stories that weren't laid out well enough to tell a clear story.
First, the organization or lack thereof was distracting. The story wasn't told linearly and few dates were given as we jumped among the women's stories.
Second, I think Ms. Montillo assumed all of her readers understood how the bomb worked. She used many terms that, with a PhD in physics, I was vaguely familiar with but certainly could have used a refresher in, such as "pile" and "chain reaction". It was hard to understand the importance of the women scientists's contributions without a passing understanding of the science itself.
Third, Ms. Montillo's evidence of what the women closest to the construction of the actual bomb contributed is scant. I'm still not entirely sure what Leona Woods contributed.
Finally, EVERY man in this book is referred to by his last name (e.g. "Oppenheimer", "Hahn") while EVERY WOMAN IS REFERED TO BY HER FIRST NAME (e.g. "Lise" or "Elizabeth"). Why? Should I show less respect for the women by being overly familiar?
This book had so much potential but was really just a collection of stories that weren't laid out well enough to tell a clear story.
September 14, 2023
3.75⭐️ Overall I enjoyed the book and thought it a relatively quick, well written read.
There is a lot of info about many different women, going back and forth between timelines, and at times could be a little hard to keep straight. It is not a super “deep dive” book and even the author herself in her end note states that she hopes people will use her book as a “springboard” with which to then do their own deeper studies of each of the women…..I had previously listened to a podcast series on women in WWII and so many of the names were already quite familiar to me and I don’t feel that I learned a whole lot of new information *but* if you know next to nothing about most of these women then I do think this book is a great place to start!
I appreciated the photos included in the back ~ it’s always nice to be able to place a face with the names! And the author also included a very thorough scientific timeline as well as source notes that go chapter by chapter and list other texts that can be read to further one’s knowledge of each person mentioned.
So, let this be a springboard to introduce you to some truly amazing, extremely smart women, and then check out the source notes in the back to decide on which texts to read next to get to know them even more!
There is a lot of info about many different women, going back and forth between timelines, and at times could be a little hard to keep straight. It is not a super “deep dive” book and even the author herself in her end note states that she hopes people will use her book as a “springboard” with which to then do their own deeper studies of each of the women…..I had previously listened to a podcast series on women in WWII and so many of the names were already quite familiar to me and I don’t feel that I learned a whole lot of new information *but* if you know next to nothing about most of these women then I do think this book is a great place to start!
I appreciated the photos included in the back ~ it’s always nice to be able to place a face with the names! And the author also included a very thorough scientific timeline as well as source notes that go chapter by chapter and list other texts that can be read to further one’s knowledge of each person mentioned.
So, let this be a springboard to introduce you to some truly amazing, extremely smart women, and then check out the source notes in the back to decide on which texts to read next to get to know them even more!
January 2, 2021
yet again, contributions by women are forgotten! Atomic Women is similar to Hidden Figures (disclaimer: I have only seen the movie, so this assumption is based on the movie, not the book itself but I assume its similar), in that it tells the story of important women who contributed to scientific discoveries and pursuits but are ignored in popular history. At times I did find it hard to follow each woman's story, since Montillo does some jumping around and there are a lot of women she follows, but in general I would say that Montillo does a very good job of writing the facts in a clear and straightforward way.
I did want there to be some deeper explanation of the actual scientific work they were doing, but I'm sure that it would have been too technical and would have lost a lot of readers, probably me included. While the end of the book does cover this, I would have liked even more discussions on the ethical implications of building the bomb and in general, what do scientists owe society in the pursuit of scientific discoveries, especially from the perspective of women who probably knew they were going to get ignored in the long run.
I did want there to be some deeper explanation of the actual scientific work they were doing, but I'm sure that it would have been too technical and would have lost a lot of readers, probably me included. While the end of the book does cover this, I would have liked even more discussions on the ethical implications of building the bomb and in general, what do scientists owe society in the pursuit of scientific discoveries, especially from the perspective of women who probably knew they were going to get ignored in the long run.
December 26, 2019
It's a short one. This is a super quick introduction to many of the names we've *sort of* heard and names that I haven't heard of related to the discovery of elements and science as they pertain to creating the atomic bomb. The book is written at a fast clip and many of the names come at you fast and furious and what I would have liked to have seen are pictures (whether they'll be in the final copy, I don't think so because there weren't any "picture TK" features) because it was hard to keep them all straight. It was easier to almost organize them by their country of origin rather than their names specifically, but it's generally told chronologically with the ending being the dropping of the atomic bomb.
The book is part science but mostly a biography of the scientists without much in the way of political or economic impact. It talks about publishing papers after discoveries, the discrimination of women in the scientific field, and the toil it took to put it all together.
The book is part science but mostly a biography of the scientists without much in the way of political or economic impact. It talks about publishing papers after discoveries, the discrimination of women in the scientific field, and the toil it took to put it all together.
May 7, 2023
After reading several books in the last year from different points of view from before and during WWII, I cam across this book and found it continues to complete a puzzle of information about the time period.
I, like most, can name some of the men who have become synonymous with the Manhattan Project as the Atomic bomb itself, but Atomic Women brings a whole new cast of people into the story and explains just how important the contributions from each of these female scientific minds were just an invaluable to the Project (if not more so) than the men known to history for decades.
This book isn't just a timeline of scientific theories and breakthroughs up to the moment the Atomic bomb was unleashed onto the world, but also a human look into the decisions made for those that had to choose to stay at home or flee from the Nazi regime.
I, like most, can name some of the men who have become synonymous with the Manhattan Project as the Atomic bomb itself, but Atomic Women brings a whole new cast of people into the story and explains just how important the contributions from each of these female scientific minds were just an invaluable to the Project (if not more so) than the men known to history for decades.
This book isn't just a timeline of scientific theories and breakthroughs up to the moment the Atomic bomb was unleashed onto the world, but also a human look into the decisions made for those that had to choose to stay at home or flee from the Nazi regime.
July 3, 2024
Just because I can't rate history, I'm kinda just rating by the overall writing:
- I loved the idea of the book: 5 stars
- I feel like the writing was kinda boring though: 3 stars
- I found the idea of having, almost the lives of these women being played out, chapter by chapter was really nice: 4 stars
- It felt like it was missing something. I don't know exactly what, but I feel like if Montillo tied up everything up it would be really be nice because you have these stories of 6ish women...but towards the end they kinda just sound like the same people and then it gets confusing, and then when it's confusing it's just bad. I feel like if she added a whole chapter to summarize these women's accomplishments, it would kind of complete everything and wrap it all up in a pretty, glowing and nuclear reactive bow: 2 stars
Overall: 3.5 stars
- I loved the idea of the book: 5 stars
- I feel like the writing was kinda boring though: 3 stars
- I found the idea of having, almost the lives of these women being played out, chapter by chapter was really nice: 4 stars
- It felt like it was missing something. I don't know exactly what, but I feel like if Montillo tied up everything up it would be really be nice because you have these stories of 6ish women...but towards the end they kinda just sound like the same people and then it gets confusing, and then when it's confusing it's just bad. I feel like if she added a whole chapter to summarize these women's accomplishments, it would kind of complete everything and wrap it all up in a pretty, glowing and nuclear reactive bow: 2 stars
Overall: 3.5 stars
January 26, 2023
The stories of these women are important. The history is fascinating — and nuclear fission is even explained in a “The Complete Idiot’s GT” way.
The stories are a 5, but the organization is a 3.
My only complaint is that the author jumped around a lot. It was hard to connect each person to their contributions. The organization was more by person than by timeline. I think a linear organization with a brief introduction to each in the intro would have been easier to keep track of.
I appreciated the fact that the author was not judgmental about the use of the atomic bomb. She allowed her reader to decide for themselves.
The stories are a 5, but the organization is a 3.
My only complaint is that the author jumped around a lot. It was hard to connect each person to their contributions. The organization was more by person than by timeline. I think a linear organization with a brief introduction to each in the intro would have been easier to keep track of.
I appreciated the fact that the author was not judgmental about the use of the atomic bomb. She allowed her reader to decide for themselves.
March 25, 2023
Not bad; nonetheless, biased. I think the depiction of the moral dilemma in the minds of the scientists Meitner, Diz, Rona, Godolwski and Woods it's not honest enough with their social beings. I mean, they suffered ostracism and sexism in the scientific circles just because they were women. But being a woman and have a sensibility for the developing of the nuclear bomb it's not related at all. Although the questions were there, the legacy and hard work to being recognized as a big member of national and scientific history must've be mandatory above everything else. Despite all that, well written and informed.
September 1, 2023
This was a good quick read to learn a little bit more about the women that were a part of the Manhattan project, and what came before it in the world of nuclear science. I really enjoyed it overall, but I didn’t want the offer to go a little bit deeper and maybe go into the wives of some more of the scientist that were scientist them selves, even if they didn’t help with the project directly. Also, I am familiar with the state of New Mexico and I did feel like some of her geography was a bit off and it needed to be edited. Overall, if you want an intro to the subject, I highly recommend this.
February 5, 2023
I truly wanted to love this book. I have learned a lot about the women involved in the space program but the women in nuclear program was unknown to me. But like others said, the organization of this book was difficult to follow. It bounced around and was very intertwined between the different women and their families. I never felt like I got to know one women’s story well enough. At the end of reading this, the only name that stands out is Marie Curie but I knew that name when I started the book.
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