Information on nuclear weapons

On the subject of my continuing obsession with the history of nuclear weapons (since reading Richard Rhodes' The Making of the Atomic Bomb, see left), here are a few sites to check out. The first is a photography book called 100 Suns, featuring images collected by Michael Light of American atomic bomb tests. The haunting, indescribable beauty of these images will both astound you and make you sick to your stomach. The second is from the Department of Energy, which has begun declassifying many of the internal films made for the military during the heyday of nuclear testing. You can order the full versions or watch clips online (although the online quality is very poor). The content, however, is stunning. In addition to footage of the shots themselves, there is film from cameras stationed on navy ships near detonations, the effects on dummies, as well as film of the 'cleanup' efforts on Enewetak atoll, where many of the largest U.S. tests were conducted. The final site is the Nuclear Weapons Archive, which contains a comprehensive accounting of U.S. as well as other nations' tests, as well as many photographs.