Doomsday Men: The Real Dr. Strangelove and the Dream of the Superweapon

by P.D. Smith

This is the gripping, untold story of the doomsday bomb—the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. In 1950, Hungarian-born scientist Leo Szilard made a dramatic announcement on American science was on the verge of creating a doomsday bomb. For the first time in history, mankind realized that he had within his grasp a truly God-like power, the ability to destroy life itself. The shockwave from this statement reverberated across the following decade and beyond. If detonated, Szilard's doomsday device—a huge cobalt-clad H-bomb—would pollute the atmosphere with radioactivity and end all life on earth. The scientific creators of such apocalyptic weapons had transformed the laws of nature into instruments of mass destruction and for many people in the Cold War there was little to distinguish real scientists from that “fictional master of megadeath,” Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. Indeed, as PD Smith’s chilling account shows, the dream of the superweapon begins in popular culture. This is a story that cannot be told without the iconic films and fictions that portray our deadly fascination with superweapons, from H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds to Nevil Shute’s On the Beach and Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb . Although scientists admitted it was possible to build the cobalt bomb, no superpower would admit to having created one. However, it remained a terrifying possibility, striking fear into the hearts of people around the world. The story of the cobalt bomb is an unwritten chapter of the Cold War, but now PD Smith reveals the personalities behind this feared technology and shows how the scientists responsible for the twentieth century’s most terrible weapons grew up in a culture dreaming of superweapons and Wellsian utopias. He argues that, in the end, the doomsday machine became the ultimate symbol of humanity’s deepest fears about the science of destruction.

Genres: History, Science, War, Nonfiction, History Of Science

553 pages, Hardcover

First published December 10, 2007

About the author

P.D. Smith is an independent researcher and writer. His most recent book is City: A Guidebook to the Urban Age, published by Bloomsbury in 2012. His previous book, Doomsday Men: The Real Dr Strangelove and the Dream of the Superweapon (2007, Penguin), was described by the Daily Telegraph as "chilling" and "irresistible".

He regularly reviews non-fiction books for the Guardian, and has also written for the Independent, the Financial Times and the Times Literary Supplement. His interests include genre fiction, cities, the life of Einstein and the way science is explored in literature.

Reviews

[Nick Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Peter D. Smith set out to write a great book, but for want of an editor the kingdom was lost. He's absolutely authoritative and definitive regarding the Weltuntergangsromane and Zukunftsromane (two just outstanding Gastwörter, for which I have Mssr. Smith to thank) of 1880-1965, both in English and German (the French are presumed to have been engaged in existential omphalos-gazing, and the Russians busy creating epic steel structures and новый советский человек (though a passing nod is given to Russian Futurism, especially Zamyatin's Мы)). This is as close to an academic study of science fiction as I ever hope to come, but it managed not to annoy me, so hurrah! He has clearly read all the nukeporn of the First Era (pretty much everything from the Smith Report through Tom Clancy (this is my terminology)), and does a great job of including stories from disparate places -- even the most bibliomaniacal and autodidactic amateur will find something here (the entire story of Sanford Simons, the "Plutonium Collector", was unknown to me). These are facts. They are positive.

Unfortunately, Smith's book is hobbled by:

a) a possibly amphetamine-induced repetition of quotes, themes and allusions. there is a reference to Dr. Strangelove in literally (I manually verified this) every chapter, many of them introducing the movie as if it hadn't been mentioned less than thirty pages earlier. I laughed out loud when I reached the 17th chapter, which in its entirety concerns: Dr. Strangelove. This, as you (the reader) might not yet have realized, was a movie by Stanley HOLY GOD SHUT UP SHUT UP WE'VE ALL SEEN THE FUCKING FILM.

b) an understanding of physics at the approximate level of a moth. i'd rather not go into the grim details here.

c) not having read, it seems, anything published during his "ten years of research". the only quote of this century (nevermind tiring and overwrought mentions throughout that omfg some ragheads might set us up the camel-jacketed-cobalt-jacketed-bomb and jockey them into NYC 9/11 changed evvvvverything *fart*). where're the revelations of Kay and Bird from 2005's American Prometheus? where for the love of god and all things atomic is Sakharov's autobiography?

Actually, writing this review has made clear a few other positives:

- whoever did the index and bibliography ought be given a fucking medal. outstanding. get you a case of beer for that one.
- coverage of Unit 731's Ishii is the best I've seen
- same goes for analysis of the WWI-era German chemistry scene, a briefer (yet just as informative) guide than The Crime and Punishment of IG Farben, which was pretty much unreadable
- he gets DEFCON oriented correctly, which is better than David Foster Wallace could do in Infinite Jest

So, I give it a fourth star, but grudgingly.

----
Amazon 2009-07-18. Supposedly a high note among the crashing tide of each year's dozens of new nucporn titles. I'm a bit worried about the physics, though; if this is really about cobalt jacketing as a solution to the planet-killing problem, that's a dark portent indeed (how do you distribute the Co60? See question 1.6 in the nuclear weapons FAQ, or Brian Martin's 1982 technical report). HOW IN GOD'S NAME DO I SUPERSCRIPT ON GOODREADS ARGHHHHHHHH

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot going on here... Things I loved: examination of the interplay between science fiction and science and how they fed off each other; the fact that he didn't just start at the creation of the atomic bomb, but went back a little further to show a trend in warfare and weaponry; the complication of scientist as savior vs. scientist as pursuer of knowledge; Leo Szilard. Thing I didn't love: that everything was Faustian or Strangelovian. And I do mean everything. Some variation of those terms was used so frequently that it got a little frustrating.

If you have an interest in following the path of weapons of mass destruction from WWI through the Cold War, and the scientists who helped them happen, read this.

[Annie Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for a biography of Leo Szilard, I picked this up instead. With its unique emphasis on the effect of popular writing and, subsequently, movies, on the development of weapons of mass destruction, this book is more of a tale of horror than a biography of Leo Szilard, the man who discovered the principle of the atom bomb and then spent much of his life trying to prevent atomic weapons from being deployed, tested, or even developed.

Popular literature inspired and predicted the worst weapons of mass destruction the world has ever known. Politicians as well as scientists were willing to assume God-like powers and responsibilities because they felt competent to evaluate situations and lives and qualified to destroy for a ‘higher’ purpose. Much of this popular literature showed the scientist as savior of the world, and even if the weapons led to mass annihilation, the very horror would teach mankind not to wage war anymore. All of these ideas are based on a very high opinion of elite human decision making and morality combined with a very low respect for human life: some humans are infallible ‘gods’ and others are totally expendable if the ‘gods’ determine that is best.

Interwoven with this theme is the story of Szilard, the bomb, and the history of modern physics. Szilard was a brilliant thinker and the first to envision the mechanism of the atomic bomb. Though he struggled for peace and did not believe in the vision of scientist as savior if said scientist created more weapons, his life showed the conflict of the ideas of scientist savior and pacifism. He helped build the bomb to ensure that the Nazis would not get it first and be able to destroy the world, but as soon as it became evident that they would not be able to produce a bomb, he urged his colleagues to petition against using the bomb or at least to warn the world before using it by giving a public demonstration.

Yes, we learn about Szilard, his background (Hungarian Jew, a life-long fugitive with a suitcase always packed), his way of doing physics (hands off, solve a few problems, move on to the next issue), and his beliefs about science and society (the scientist can be a savior and needs to be, at first by inventing weapons to end all wars, later by discouraging their use by disseminating knowledge about their lethal effects). We also learn about many other scientists, especially those involved in weapons research, from the inventor of chemical warfare and the developer of missiles, to the Japanese research of biological warfare. And we learn about the American/Allied approach to war criminals: in exchange for their expertise and data, research-generating criminals were not prosecuted. Most horrifyingly, we learn of the evolution of warfare, also among the Allies, from an endeavor between soldiers to an attack on all civilians as in the carefully-planned firestorm bombings of German and Japanese cities and the atomic bomb. In fact, I learned a lot I had not wanted to know.

Thoughts that I had after reading more about World War 2, especially some of the horrors perpetuated by the Allies:
• The anger of man does not work the righteousness of God;
• Vengeance is mine;
• Love your enemies.

You see, I had always thought that the Allies had acted with restraint and conscience, even in the matter of the atomic bomb, although I was never comfortable with that. But now I read about the firestorm bombings of Hamburg, Dresden, and Tokyo, designed to kill civilians en masse. The bomb really was just an extension of that. And the idea that all along some planned the bomb for Japan, to intimidate the Soviet Union, was startling. I had always thought, like the physicists who were involved, that the purpose was to get the bomb before the Nazis got it and used it. But again we see several things about people:

• If one does not act in love, things get out of hand very quickly.
• People are inherently attracted to evil, but they almost always justify it as being right.
• There’s usually a back story. Sometimes people know about it; other times it is kept well-concealed either purposefully, or inadvertently as Blink by Malcolm Gladwell implies. Even in science and in religion, novel or controversial ideas are not usually promoted or opposed for the stated reason but for other ones (McGrath discusses this at length in Science and Religion).

But let’s get back to the book itself. Really, Doomsday Men is more about the incredible influence of popular literature and film than about the history of physics. And yet, it shows the motivation behind a good deal of both physics and politics, demonstrating that the power of popular culture is frightening. If those who fire the imaginations of our scientists, policy makers, and powerful people are evil, our society will go wrong.

Nowadays, Hollywood, the media, and the internet have such power, shaping (perhaps even defining) society’s attitudes to race, values, marriage, mental illness, violence, the value of life, and Christianity.

Imagine, on the other hand, a society where the Word of God is central and has such power in people’s lives. Perhaps we Christians have a lot to learn about spreading the word effectively, though there already are many talented writers, thinkers, and film makers who serve valiantly. And yet, isn’t it simple, faithful preaching and simple, faithful witness that we Christians are, in general, called to?

No matter what the answer to that question would be, it is imperative that we absorb our Bibles, always learning to live more closely to our Lord, because who we are and how we think will always determine our actions.

Furthermore, let us compare our current fear levels with those of half a century ago, when everyone lived in terror of a nuclear or biological attack. God gave the world relief from such fears and we Christians forgot to use the time wisely to live intentionally for him in society. Now we are reaping the consequences, but we still have time to act.

Again, the solution is to love the Lord our God with all our being and those around us as ourselves.

And the end of the matter is simple: 'God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble’...and, eventually, he will make ‘wars to cease to the ends of the earth.’ (Psalm 46)

[Tripp · Rating 4 out of 5]

PD Smith's Doomsday Men is a mix of science fiction analysis and all too real history. The book covers the fixation on the dream of the ultimate weapon, which evolves from chemical weapons to a true doomsday system put in place by the Soviets. On both the side of scientists and writers there is the great fear of what these more powerful weapons might mean for political power and for society. What drives them is the dream of what they might do. From Nobel with his dynamite on, the dream has been that weapons might become so powerful as to prevent war altogether.

On a more practical front, the dream has been that powerful weapons will drastically shorten war and thereby lessen its effects. The fixation on technical solutions to these problems tend to come up short as demonstrated by chemical weapon which were initially overpowering but were quickly countered. The technologists tend to forget that war is a competition of measure and countermeasure and all the new weapons tend to do is to make it worse.

The book is an excellent introduction to the subject of weapons for non-specialists, but specialists will benefit from the seeing the interplay between science fiction and the development and understanding of what these weapons can do.

[Sultry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a close look at the beginning of the modern Atomic Age. P.D. Smith makes it real clear and very easy to understand. He gives the reader a step by step, yet interesting look at the American atomic project as it started, before the Manhattan Project, and further into it and past into the Cold War.
At the same time he documents the Soviet Union's project and the race to have the biggest and worst bomb in the quest for mutual destruction in the years of the Cold War when the Atomic Clock was at one point set at 2 minutes to mid-night or 2 minutes to destruction.
I've read this book a couple of times and each time I get a clear understanding of this time period though I grew up during the late 50's and 60's and remember much of the politics of the period.
Truly by reading just the first few chapters the reader will understand where the writer of Dr. Strangelove garnered his material.
With students in the average class-room today NOT being taught history - I would suggest this as a must read for the average college student.
A definite 5 stars for non-fiction.
Sultry

[Paul Halpern · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Doomsday Men: The Real Dr. Strangelove and the Dream of the Superweapon, British historian of science P.D. Smith masterfully chronicles the literary antecedents and cultural repercussions of the development of nuclear armaments. It offers a marvelous resource for understanding the issues and personalities underlying Kubrick’s masterpiece and other creative interpretations of the Cold War. From pulp science fiction stories to Godzilla’s theatrical invasions, it is a veritable lexicon of atomic age culture. There is delightful humor throughout the volume, mainly focused on the idiosyncrasies of Szilard and the some of the other key players. With the Cold War fading into history, Doomsday Men offers a valuable reminder of the period’s fears and foibles. It provides an outstanding guide to a pivotal era when humanity first faced the terrifying prospect of annihilation by its own hand.

[Paul Halpern · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Doomsday Men: The Real Dr. Strangelove and the Dream of the Superweapon, British historian of science P.D. Smith masterfully chronicles the literary antecedents and cultural repercussions of the development of nuclear armaments. It offers a marvelous resource for understanding the issues and personalities underlying Kubrick’s masterpiece and other creative interpretations of the Cold War. From pulp science fiction stories to Godzilla’s theatrical invasions, it is a veritable lexicon of atomic age culture. There is delightful humor throughout the volume, mainly focused on the idiosyncrasies of Szilard and the some of the other key players. With the Cold War fading into history, Doomsday Men offers a valuable reminder of the period’s fears and foibles. It provides an outstanding guide to a pivotal era when humanity first faced the terrifying prospect of annihilation by its own hand.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides an in-depth look at the atomic era in American culture. It examines scientific and public perception over the years by referencing literature and film. Although it is not always the most engaging read (sci-fi readers will love it's coverage of sci-fi history), it provides a historical viewpoint not covered in Richard Rhodes' works on this subject. Of special enjoyment is the background and analysis of Stanley Kubrick's hit "Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb" - long one of my favorite movies.

[Ben Rand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting juxtaposition of historical science against the backdrop of science fiction and movies of the same time periods. Author makes some interesting observations where science fiction writers often preceded actual scientific discoveries or inventions. Gave me a several books to add to my reading list.

[Michael Pryor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literate, aware, chilling.

[Jack Oughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's an amazing metaphor they use in this:

Scientists 'giving' the military thermonuclear weaponry is a little like you giving a toddler a loaded revolver.