In the 1950s, Soviet nuclear scientists and leaders imagined a stunning future when giant reactors would generate energy quickly and cheaply, nuclear engines would power cars, ships, and airplanes, and peaceful nuclear explosions would transform the landscape. Driven by the energy of the atom, the dream of communism would become a powerful reality. Thirty years later, that dream died in Chernobyl. What went wrong? Based on exhaustive archival research and interviews, Red Atom takes a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the Soviet Union's peaceful use of nuclear power. It explores both the projects and the technocratic and political elite who were dedicated to increasing state power through technology. And it describes the political, economic, and environmental fallout of Chernobyl.

Author: Paul Josephson
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
Published: 06/10/2005
Series: Russian and East European Studies #233
Pages: 352
Weight: 1.18lbs
Size: 9.26h x 6.18w x 0.88d
ISBN: 9780822958819

About the Author
Paul R. Josephson is associate professor of history at Colby College.