Product Description

At 5:30 a.m., July 16, 1945, scientists and dignitaries awaited the detonation of the first atomic bomb in a desolate area of the New Mexico desert aptly known as Jornada del Muerto--Journey of Death. Dubbed the Manhattan Project, the top-secret undertaking was tackled with unprecedented speed and expense--almost $30-billion in today's dollars. Los Alamos scientists and engineers relate their trials, triumphs, and dark doubts about building the ultimate weapon of war in the interest of peace.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18540 in DVD
• Brand: A&E
• Released on: 2005-09-27
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 50 minutes

Customer Reviews

From Theory to Weapon....
History Channel's "The Manhattan Project" offers a concise, nicely balanced history of the making of the atomic bomb in just under 50 minutes. This 2004 episode of Modern Marvels manages to explain the physics and the technology behind the bomb in layman's terms, while crafting a suspenseful narrative around the costly ($30 billion in current dollars) military-civilian collaboration.

"Manhattan Project" begins with the state of atomic science as the Second World War got underway in 1939, and why the United States decided it should build a bomb before Nazi Germany could. At the center of the narrative are Army General Leslie Groves and scientist Robert Oppenheimer, a yin and yang combination who together solved the technical problems of building a bomb, then in record time put together the industrial resources to provide the necessary uranium and plutonium. "The Manhattan Project" concludes with the Trinity Test of July 1945 and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

The narrative benefits from interviews with some of the surviving personnel who worked on the project. These interviews put a human face on a massive industrial effort. Some prominent historians offer a larger perspective on the project. The narrative does not shy away from the moral implications of use. Some of the concluding comments suggest that warfare has been changed forever by the invention of a weapon that could annihilate millions in a major exchange.

This short feature on the Manhattan Project is highly recommended as a concise but reasonably comprehensive survey at the popular history level of the making of the first atomic bomb.

From "The Gadget" to the end of WWII
In what is described in the early stages of the documentary as the journey of death - because human kind would be inventing the means to its own destruction - The Manhattan Project accurately and compellingly chronicles the scientific, moral, political, and logistical aspects of the rise of the atomic age.

With wonderful usage of authentic footage, recent interviews with informed and involved personnel, as well as the usage of intricate animations explaining and displaying how the science behind the bomb works, and how the great power of fission was harnessed to provide fuel for a bomb, there are vivid details about every aspect of the bombs' timeline. From uranium to plutonium, from "The Gadget" to Little Boy to Fat Man, the scientific data and supporting information is amplified by smooth narration, profound historical and contemporary minds providing first-hand insight, and a succint wrapup of all other pertinent and/or interesting details. There are even superb interviews with Paul Tibbets - the man who piloted the Enola Gay, the plane responsible for dropping Little Boy on Hiroshima.

Particularly impressing were the details about two of the sites involved: Los Alamos, NM and Oak Ridge, TN. The sheer numbers involved to pull of the creation and successful usage of the bombs are truly staggering. To think that Oak Ridge became the fifth largest city in Tennessee as a result of bomb production is unbelievable, and a testament to the amount of clout this project was given.

The documentary is a fair and accurate portrayal of all parties involved. Roosevelt, Truman, Oppenheimer, Groves, and the numerous scientists given credit for the astounding accomplishments, and consequent world-altering impact, are all given proper weight and historical perspective.

I highly recommend The Manhattan Project for those interested in either the science of the bomb, or the related military history.

The History Channel: The Manhatten Project
I used this in my classroom while covering nuclear chemistry. I thought it was well done and gave a good description of the times. For kids taking chemistry, sometimes a different aspect can make a topic more interesting.