This was a fascinating review of the impact of nuclear testing in the 1950's. The author did a fantastic job at explaining the variety of tests being run and their impact on the local and global community. Graphs and photos were fitting and well explained throughout the text.

As for my recommendation, this book is a must read for those who enjoy dark nonfiction. It is a little dense at times but my jaw was dropping almost every chapter with the wildness of the testing and lack of safety precautions taken during that period of history. Truly a fascinating subject and an excellent read.

As someone interested in legal and environmental issues, I found James C. Rice's "Downwind of the Atomic State" to be a useful academic resource. The book provides a detailed account of the atomic testing program and its effects on local residents. But, as others have mentioned, the book doesn't really go into the the broader political, social, and cultural contexts that made these tests (and other damaging environmental activities) possible. In my opinion, this narrow focus limits the book's usefulness for readers who are looking to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the history of nuclear testing in the United States.

Despite this limitation, I believe that "Downwind of the Atomic State" will be a valuable resource for future researchers. Rice's research is thorough and well-documented, and not too dense for interested readers.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Settle in with a fork and a knife for this dense read. Rice definitely did his research on this well crafted non fiction, heavy with footnoted references. Compound sentences heavy with scientific terminology slowed me down from my usual reading pace, but it was worthwhile for all the facts and insight the reader gains.
Downwind of the Atomic state will be published March 7th, 2023 and Rice could not have known the parallel many readers may end up drawing to the ongoing response and official statements being made about the Ohio train disaster. Just like the sheep were only malnourished, I’m sure the water in Ohio is fine to drink too, thanks government.

A very interesting read on the American Atomic Energy Commission and their nuclear tests. Especially, the lack of communication and protection for the nearby living people and nature are described. I found the book gripping and finished it pretty quickly for such a "dry" topic. The photos are a nice touch and some really surprised me (don't worry, no "nasty" visuals). The book contains loads of information on health effects after the testing. Though one reviewer also mentioned, the book could contain a chapter on why the AEC was pressured this way.

Downwind of the Atomic State by James C. Rice
This book certainly will have a very limited readership. Why do I say this? Many non-fiction books are about a topic that may be of interest to you but then also go off on tangents which may or may not make them more interesting. Sometimes I enjoy these off-roads and other times I am frustrated as this is not what I wanted to read. In this case, Mr. Rice stays on a very narrow path and describes the failure of the AEC ( Atomic Energy Commission) to inform and protect the American public from fallout as a result of nuclear testing occurring in the Nevada Testing Range. This topic is thoroughly covered. However, there is no reasons given for the AEC’s failure to protect and often lie to the public directly through silence or at best misinformation in hearings. I think perhaps the AEC’s failure may have been due to the “Red Scare” and McCarthy Era. But this is never discussed or how much pressure was coming from the US Military or Industry to do this testing. Without this discussion I can-not recommend this book.

Downwind of the Atomic State was a good academic read. Though the author was sometimes too scientific in their descriptions, I did enjoy that they separated the chapters and explained the purpose of each in the introduction. This gives the reader a good indication of the flow of the book and helps guide the reader to better understand some of the intricate details which might otherwise lose someone.

The research on done by the author was extremely detailed and you can tell that it was important they got everything correct, which I could appreciate very much. That being said, sometimes too much detail ended up bogging down the chapters and it seemed easier to skim through paragraphs because of this.

Overall the book was very well written and researched and incredibly intriguing. This is author is a great researcher will be a great companion for graduate courses.