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“The story of the development of the atomic bomb by the combined efforts of many groups in the United States is a fascinating but highly technical account of an enormous enterprise. Obviously military security prevents this story from being told in full at this time. However, there is no reason why the administrative history of the Atomic Bomb project and the basic scientific knowledge on which the several developments were based should not be available now to the general public. To this end this account by Professor H. D. Smyth is presented.” –Major General L.R. Groves, from the Foreward |
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SMYTH, H.D. A General Account of the Development of Methods of Using Atomic Energy for Military Purposes under the Auspices of the United States Government 1940-1945. Washington, D.C.: the Superintendent of Documents, 1945. Octavo, original paper wrappers. $600. First published edition of the official government publication offering the public the first account of the development of the atomic bomb. “There was published on 12 August 1945 (six days after the atomic attack on Hiroshima) the remarkably full and candid account of the development work carried out between 1940 and 1945 by the American-directed by internationally-recruited team of physicists, under the code name of ‘Manhattan District’, which culminated in the production of the first atomic bomb… Compiled by Professor Smyth of Princeton, a consultant to the ‘Manhattan District’ project at Los Alamos, whose commandant General L.R. Groves provided the foreword, ‘the Smyth Report’, as it is familiarly known, was published at one dollar by the U.S. Superintendent of Documents” (Printing and the Mind of Man, 422e). Preceded by the rare pre-publication litoprint issue of 1000 copies distributed to the press and members of the physics community. Owner's stamp on front cover. A fine copy. |