Among these men there is no discrimination. No prejudices. No hatred. Theirs is the highest and purest democracy.-from "The Purest Democracy"Despite his passionate support of pacifism; Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn voluntarily joined the navy when the United States entered World War II; becoming the first Jewish chaplain assigned to the United States Marine Corps. His remarkable story chronicles the evolution of his crisis of conscience and gives an insider's view into the battle of Iwo Jima and one of the most famous military speeches ever made.
#11169 in Books Touchstone Books 2014-03-11 2014-03-11Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.20 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 1451617534416 pagesTouchstone Books
Review
239 of 243 people found the following review helpful. Everyone should read this book!By Margery McGrathThe other reviews on "The Girls of Atomic City" are wonderfully written. I agree with all the positive comments on the book's accurate reflection of the times; and I loved getting to know "the girls". I wanted to write a review because of a family connection! I'm 91 and have always been interested in keeping alive the stories of my relatives. I remember in 1943 my aunt came to tell my mother that she had accepted a very important job in Tennessee; but that she could not talk about it. She would be leaving soon and wanted to say goodbye. My aunt honored the code of silence about her work at Oak Ridge all her life. Long after the war we knew she had something to do with the project to built the atomic bomb; but I had no idea of the challenging reality she faced until reading the book on my Kindle. Many puzzle pieces about my aunt have now fallen into place. I am so grateful that the author decided to tell this story of how ordinary women put their country's needs ahead of their own. It is wonderful that their contribution is being recognized.197 of 205 people found the following review helpful. "The Girls of Atomic City" tells Oak Ridge's story in a new lightBy David Ray SmithDenise Kiernan has succeeded in her new book; "The Girls of Atomic City;" to tell the story of Oak Ridge; TN; during the Manhattan Project in a way that is unique and gives insight until now hidden. Writers who have focused on this story before have either featured the technical details or have focused on the overall and truly amazing accomplishment that ended a World War having already killed 54;000;000 people! A great story; however; told.But; Denise takes a much more intimate and personal approach to telling this amazing story in Oak Ridge (where 60% of the approximately $2 billion "Project" was spent) using the eyes (and memories) of some of the working ladies who actually did the real work of separating uranium (without knowing it); checking the leaks in pipes (not knowing where the pipes went); keeping the statistical data; doing the hard work of a janitor; a chemist (who got closest to the "product") and secretaries who saw documents they could never discuss. This approach results in a more realistic telling of the day to day activities in Oak Ridge and the government sites of X-10; Y-12; K-25 and S-50. The intrigue springs from every page!The stories of these nine ladies; (Helen; Colleen; Celia; Toni; Jane; Kattie; Virginia; Dot and Rosemary); each unique; yet each holding much in common; is bound together by Denise's wonderfully talented skill as a writer. She paints a composite picture of Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project that will become a classic in the literature of this extraordinary historical accomplishment that has led to so many technological advances of the Nuclear Age.This amazing world changing experiment was begun using many women from various backgrounds as workers. The interviews and detailed memories of the lives Denise touched while researching this book have produced more than a mere book; she has created lasting relationships with the last of the living who actually experienced something many cannot imagine. They were personally involved in what has been labeled the most significant military industrial scientific breakthrough in the history of the world.Remember; these nine represent literally thousands of other women who worked just as diligently; just as courageously; to help win that awful war. Denise captures the grit; the determination and the resultant exuberance when their efforts produced that glorious peace stopping the killing.Reading "The Girls of Atomic City" is a delightful and spellbinding tale that were it not true would be fiction of the highest order; but it is real...these women lived it. Denise has captured it.The book is a must read for anyone who studies the Manhattan Project history or especially the history of Oak Ridge; TN; and who wants to share the insights of these women who were there when it happened.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Women and thier important Contributions to ending WW IIBy GayleThis is a historical account of women from a variety of backgrounds involved in one of the most important and controversial secret initiatives of WW II. I had two Aunts that worked in the Atomic city and my mother spent time visiting them and this book captures their community that rose from nothing and how they lived.My Aunts received a Certificate from the Department of War for their contribution in ending WW II. They never told what they did at Oakridge until the last years of their lives.This book inspires through a view into the spirit and tenacity of these intelligent and simple women who produced one of the most powerful weapons in the world while maintaining silence about the project. It also points out the discrimination and struggles women and African Americans endured during those years.I recommend this book for anyone interested in the science and political environment of the time leading up to the use of the Atomic bomb.
