Trinity: The History Of An Atomic Bomb National Historic Landmark

by Jim Eckles

This is the history of Trinity Site, where the first atomic bomb was tested on July 16, 1945. The test, in an instant, ushered the world into the nuclear age. Unlike other books that focus on Los Alamos or the Manhattan Project, this book describes what went on at the bomb test site - how the test bed was prepared, who did the work, how they lived in the desert and what happened to the site after the war. The book is filled with first-hand accounts and anecdotes given to the author by the men who were actually there. Also, the story continues after the end of the war as the National Park Service proposed the site be declared a national monument. The Department of Army vetoed such proposals because the site sits in the middle of White Sands Missile Range. A compromise was to make the site a national historic landmark. Eckles explains what happened to many of the artifacts associated with the test, like Jumbo and the control bunker, how the site's open houses have grown to see thousands of visitors each year, and what the radiation issues are all about. Included are many photographs of the site, some of which have never been published before. In 2013 Eckles published "Pocketful of Rockets: History and Stories Behind White Sands Missile Range" that included a chapter on Trinity Site. He has extracted that chapter, one of 29 in the large volume, and reworked it, beefing it up with additional information and photos. It now stands alone as an educational and entertaining guide to Trinity.

170 pages, Paperback

Published February 13, 2015

Reviews

[Jon Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased my copy of this book in trade paperback at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, NM when visiting there in April 2022. I was in the area to attend the twice-yearly open house at the Trinity site, where the world's first atomic explosion took place. After my visit to Trinity I went to the Museum of Space History where I spotted this book in the gift shop. The book has sat on my "to be read" shelf since then; I was inspired to give it a read based on recently seeing the movie "Oppenheimer."
I didn't have high hopes for learning anything new about the Trinity site from this book and was pleasantly surprised to find I was wrong. The book tells the story of the Trinity site partly through a factual narrative, and partly through a collection of anecdotes. Both are pretty interesting, but the anecdotes were what made the book interesting to me. The author worked in the Public Affairs Office at the White Sands Missile Range for many years, and in this role he worked the annual open houses and hosted other visits to the Trinity site. He had a number of amusing stories from the open houses and from hosting various media organizations, religious groups, and celebrities including Walter Cronkite. The other anecdotes are from various military personnel who filled various roles in the run-up to the Trinity test and in caretaking for the site in the years afterward. This is not a broad, sweeping history but more an account of individual experiences of the people who took part in a sweeping historical event. I did learn some interesting technical tidbits, like this one: after the bomb had been completely assembled and hoisted into the shot tower, the neutron activity in the bomb's core was monitored by periodically swapping out a thin manganese rod inserted into the core. The neutrons released from the core induced radioactivity in the manganese rod. Every few hours the "old" rod was removed from the core and a "fresh" one was inserted; the radioactivity of the "old" rod was then measured, and this could be correlated to the neutron activity in the core. By comparing the results over time it was determined that the neutron activity in the bomb's core was stable. Pretty cool stuff. Five out of five stars.

[David Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

July 16, 1945 Not a date that would go down in infime but a date that would change how the world would view its future. This is the story of the preparation and what happened to the site of the first explosion of an atomic bomb. Would it work, what would be the results of the explosion, and what type of land marks would be left after the explosion? So what is Trinitite, how was it formed, and where is it? Would anyone be interested in the Trinity site after the bomb, and how can you see this site? All of these questions are answered in this small book.
Jim Eckles has been the voice and guide for Trinity site for over 30 years starting in 1977 when he joined the “White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs Office. If you can read this book and then plan a visit to Ground Zero and Trinity. There are only two days a year that the site is opened for public viewing,typically on the first Saturday in April and the third Saturday of October.

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very readable, small book that is also very informative. The author worked for 30 years in the White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs Office and his skill for interacting with the public and leading tour groups shines through this book with flying colors. I felt I was hearing him talk all the way through the book. I also appreciated seeing all the photographs which enhance the details in the narrative.

I have visited White Sands National Park twice, so am familiar with the area, but my timing has not been right for visiting the Trinity Site; perhaps someday!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am assuming this is the book I read back in the high school. It was called Trinity, and there's about the creation of the atomic bomb.

[jj Grilliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good general information covering lots of things including what happened to locals living near