Steeped in Science, Submersed in Story

The story of the founding of Oak Ridge National Lab and the enrichment of uranium for the Manhattan project is a fascinating story. One of those that I should have known but didn't. I was continually pulling tidbits out of this book and discussing them with people I ran into. Amazing, amazing piece of history.

I would give it 5 stars, except I feel it really wasn't all that well written. The raw material was so great that it came through, but some odd stylistic choices were made. The way the stories of the women who worked at Oak Ridge were told was disjointed and at times seemed like a chore. The author chose to hide historic facts behind a code language, referring to governmental, military, and scientific persons as The Scientist, The General, etc. There way a key at the front of the book linking the code language to the actual individuals they represented. It was unnecessary and really got in the way of the story, as if the author were an overgrown child trying to impress me with an inane and obvious magic trick when I'd like her to just relax and tell the story.

Low marks for style, but the content was hard to hide under a bushel. I was fascinated by the facts in this book, and it was certainly well researched.