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Reviews
| Please God, Us First: Assignment: Manhattan Project. By John Pennock. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, TWiG Publications, 2003. vi+106 pp., bibl. $13.95 pb (ISBN 0-9730642-4-2) [available from author].
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This short book is a first-person account of an engineer's experiences working with the Manhattan Project, the U.S.'s program to develop the atomic bomb. The author, John Pennock, was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1943 and was assigned to assist in the construction of the K-25 Plant, which produced enriched uranium for the atomic bomb, at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The catalyst for this book was the curiosity Pennock's children had about their father's experiences. Reflecting this origin, Pennock writes the book in a conversational first-person style, much as one would expect from a father retelling stories of his past to his children. It is primarily a collection of anecdotes about life at the plant and the men and women Pennock encountered, rather than a comprehensive account of the development of the atomic bomb.
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The title Please God, Us First refers to the sense of urgency felt by those who worked on developing the atomic bomb. One of their greatest fears was that the Nazis would develop an atomic bomb before the United States. The title, however, implies an urgency that does not come through in the book. Only one story really conveys some sense of urgency. In that story a Marine Corps major implores workers to finish the bomb because each day more of his men are dying.
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The book follows chronologically from the author's induction in the army through the duration of his deployment at Oak Ridge. Pennock does not provide a discussion of the Manhattan Project outside of his direct involvement as a draftee engineer because at the time he was working he had very little information, largely because all information was then on a need-to-know basis. Pennock's job at the Oak Ridge facility involved testing sections of pipe for leaks. He was provided only enough information to understand what was necessary for the particular task on which he was working. It is sometimes surprising how little information was supplied to individuals at the plant. The purpose of their efforts was never completely disclosed, and only through conjecture did Pennock deduce that the plant was even working with uranium. His conjectures were confirmed when, later, he became involved in removing some of the enriched uranium produced there for transport.
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The author describes the conditions at the plant, the soldiers' attempts to relieve stress, and the interactions between the military personnel and the local inhabitants who worked at the plant. The book concludes with a description of the party thrown to celebrate the end of the war and the author's views on why the use of the bomb was justified.
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Please God, Us First effectively conveys Pennock's experience, offering a perspective on the Manhattan Project likely shared by the majority of those involved. The book's conversational style is easily followed. However, a few sections involve technical descriptions of chemical processes that will likely overwhelm the average reader. The book would have benefited from the inclusion of pictures to help illustrate the period and Pennock's experiences. While the book does not provide a context for development of the atomic bomb, the author includes a short list of other books related to the topic, including overviews of the Manhattan Project and the Oak Ridge facility. The list also includes idiosyncratic selections, such as the physics book he had while at Oak Ridge and a book that he warns against because it uses selective evidence to portray the dropping of the bomb as immoral.
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| Please God, Us First is a useful addition to the body of literature on the Manhattan Project. As we move further in time from the development of the atomic bomb, most discussions focus on the moral issues surrounding use of the bomb. With the distancing of the discourse from the actual event and the shift to discussion of moral issues, the human experiences of those involved tend to be forgotten. Pennock's book brings the human experience back into focus. While the book may prove of minimal use in providing an understanding of the Manhattan Project as a whole, it does serve to remind us that history is comprised of the everyday experiences of people doing what seems necessary during times of crisis. |
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