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The Plutonium Files: America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War
When the vast wartime factories of the Manhattan Project began producing plutonium in quantities never before seen on earth, scientists working on the top-secret bomb-building program grew apprehensive. Fearful that plutonium might cause a cancer epidemic among workers and desperate to learn more about what it could do to the human body, the Manhattan Project's medical doctors embarked upon an experiment in which eighteen unsuspecting patients in hospital wards throughout the country were secretly injected with the cancer-causing substance. Most of these patients would go to their graves without ever knowing what had been done to them.
Now, in The Plutonium Files, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Eileen Welsome reveals for the first time the breadth of the extraordinary fifty-year cover-up surrounding the plutonium injections, as well as the deceitful nature of thousands of other experiments conducted on American citizens in the postwar years.
Welsome's remarkable investigation spans the 1930s to the 1990s and draws upon hundreds of newly declassified documents and other primary sources to disclose this shadowy chapter in American history. She gives a voice to such innocents as Helen Hutchison, a young woman who entered a prenatal clinic in Nashville for a routine checkup and was instead given a radioactive "cocktail" to drink; Gordon Shattuck, one of several boys at a state school for the developmentally disabled in Massachusetts who was fed radioactive oatmeal for breakfast; and Maude Jacobs, a Cincinnati woman suffering from cancer and subjected to an experimental radiation treatment designed to help military planners learn how to win a nuclear war.
Welsome also tells the stories of the scientists themselves, many of whom learned the ways of secrecy on the Manhattan Project. Among them are Stafford Warren, a grand figure whose bravado masked a cunning intelligence; Joseph Hamilton, who felt he was immune to the dangers of radiation only to suffer later from a fatal leukemia; and physician Louis Hempelmann, one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the plan to inject humans with potentially carcinogenic doses of plutonium. Hidden discussions of fifty years past are reconstructed here, wherein trusted government officials debated the ethical and legal implications of the experiments, demolishing forever the argument that these studies took place in a less enlightened era.
Powered by her groundbreaking reportage and singular narrative gifts, Eileen Welsome has created a work of profound humanity as well as major historical significance.
From the Hardcover edition.
Now, in The Plutonium Files, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Eileen Welsome reveals for the first time the breadth of the extraordinary fifty-year cover-up surrounding the plutonium injections, as well as the deceitful nature of thousands of other experiments conducted on American citizens in the postwar years.
Welsome's remarkable investigation spans the 1930s to the 1990s and draws upon hundreds of newly declassified documents and other primary sources to disclose this shadowy chapter in American history. She gives a voice to such innocents as Helen Hutchison, a young woman who entered a prenatal clinic in Nashville for a routine checkup and was instead given a radioactive "cocktail" to drink; Gordon Shattuck, one of several boys at a state school for the developmentally disabled in Massachusetts who was fed radioactive oatmeal for breakfast; and Maude Jacobs, a Cincinnati woman suffering from cancer and subjected to an experimental radiation treatment designed to help military planners learn how to win a nuclear war.
Welsome also tells the stories of the scientists themselves, many of whom learned the ways of secrecy on the Manhattan Project. Among them are Stafford Warren, a grand figure whose bravado masked a cunning intelligence; Joseph Hamilton, who felt he was immune to the dangers of radiation only to suffer later from a fatal leukemia; and physician Louis Hempelmann, one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the plan to inject humans with potentially carcinogenic doses of plutonium. Hidden discussions of fifty years past are reconstructed here, wherein trusted government officials debated the ethical and legal implications of the experiments, demolishing forever the argument that these studies took place in a less enlightened era.
Powered by her groundbreaking reportage and singular narrative gifts, Eileen Welsome has created a work of profound humanity as well as major historical significance.
From the Hardcover edition.
592 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 15, 2012
I need to preface this review by saying a couple things about myself moreso than about the book: For one, I grew up wanting to either be a fighter pilot or work for the Department of Energy in one of the fabled national labs. I always saw the military and the DOE as leading the way in many areas of the most advanced of high technologies and I wanted very badly to be part of that. So I have respect for these institutions, possibly more than many readers who will pick up this book. Secondly, when I first read this book, it was around the year 2000 or 2001, and I had along with another student begged a nurse to provide us with a tour of a long closed-off portion of a local hospital. We found everything from old surgical instruments to patient records left to rot. That same night, I checked this out of the university library.
I was in for an unexpected treat, but one that leaves you hard-pressed to sleep at night. This book details the experiments conducted by the military, DOE, and other Federal authorities and their contractors on American patients and test subjects ranging from convicts to fighter pilots to school children in a home for the retarded. In most of these cases, the test subjects were totally unaware they were even taking part in a medical research study. There was no informed consent and when there was, a lot of details were left out. Now, for the worst of it: these studies were conducted to find out what the effects were of various types of radioactive isotopes on the human body. These patients were injected, fed, or otherwise exposed to radioactive substances without even knowing it, and at the behest of our government. Why was the government so keenly interested in this topic? Because it was the apex of the Cold War and many military planners believed that sooner or later, the Russians would attack and we would be exposed to nuclear fallout. Thus, they wanted to know how to prepare doctors and hospitals to respond to such a disaster.
Eileen Welsome is an investigative journalist who began her research on this topic after she stumbled upon it and wrote a shorter multi-part story for a major newspaper in the American Southwest. Her research and writing alike are first-rate, and she won a Pulitzer for this book, as well she should have. The book reads like a horror story but is all true and is so well-documented it pains you to even imagine the hours Welsome must have spent in dusty academic libraries and government file rooms. Like all the best writers on topics like this (Laurie Garrett's research on emerging diseases comes to mind as does Stephen Hall's book on the immune system and the quest for interferons), Welsome takes the time to paint portraits of the patients, doctors, military officers, and other players in these true stories so we can relate to them on a human level. She also allows the facts to come forth and speak for themselves: while the lines between "good" and "bad" in a tale such as this may seem pretty obvious, she points out the nuances and explains why researchers believed their work was not only valid and just, but also necessary.
The lion's share of the experiments Welsome details here were not declassified and made public until around 1994 when President Clinton's Secretary of Energy, Hazel O'Leary, declassified them on the president's orders. Despite that, the matter didn't make as much a stir in the news even then, but thankfully Welsome's book will serve as a much-needed document of this aspect of American history.
I was in for an unexpected treat, but one that leaves you hard-pressed to sleep at night. This book details the experiments conducted by the military, DOE, and other Federal authorities and their contractors on American patients and test subjects ranging from convicts to fighter pilots to school children in a home for the retarded. In most of these cases, the test subjects were totally unaware they were even taking part in a medical research study. There was no informed consent and when there was, a lot of details were left out. Now, for the worst of it: these studies were conducted to find out what the effects were of various types of radioactive isotopes on the human body. These patients were injected, fed, or otherwise exposed to radioactive substances without even knowing it, and at the behest of our government. Why was the government so keenly interested in this topic? Because it was the apex of the Cold War and many military planners believed that sooner or later, the Russians would attack and we would be exposed to nuclear fallout. Thus, they wanted to know how to prepare doctors and hospitals to respond to such a disaster.
Eileen Welsome is an investigative journalist who began her research on this topic after she stumbled upon it and wrote a shorter multi-part story for a major newspaper in the American Southwest. Her research and writing alike are first-rate, and she won a Pulitzer for this book, as well she should have. The book reads like a horror story but is all true and is so well-documented it pains you to even imagine the hours Welsome must have spent in dusty academic libraries and government file rooms. Like all the best writers on topics like this (Laurie Garrett's research on emerging diseases comes to mind as does Stephen Hall's book on the immune system and the quest for interferons), Welsome takes the time to paint portraits of the patients, doctors, military officers, and other players in these true stories so we can relate to them on a human level. She also allows the facts to come forth and speak for themselves: while the lines between "good" and "bad" in a tale such as this may seem pretty obvious, she points out the nuances and explains why researchers believed their work was not only valid and just, but also necessary.
The lion's share of the experiments Welsome details here were not declassified and made public until around 1994 when President Clinton's Secretary of Energy, Hazel O'Leary, declassified them on the president's orders. Despite that, the matter didn't make as much a stir in the news even then, but thankfully Welsome's book will serve as a much-needed document of this aspect of American history.
June 18, 2022
I’m certainly not one to buy into conspiracy theories but when given the facts about our government’s involvement in using its citizens as unknowing or unwilling guinea pigs during the Cold War it makes one reconsider their opinions. This stuff is tantamount to Nazi experimentation only it was done by our government on its own people. And per the usual they do not want to be held accountable when it comes to light. This is why people do not trust the government. Stuff like this. And it goes on all the time. The newest incarnation are the Republican backed “voter integrity” laws. Legislators can certainly have discussions about how to make voting fair, but when they are signing laws behind locked doors (Georgia) or putting proposals out for public recourse (Texas - where they displayed new legislation between 1:39 am to 1:40 am two days ago before voting it in), I suppose at the least in the past the government tried to keep such blatant corruption secret, now it’s out in the public forum. And they wonder why nobody believes anything they say. Shameful. Then you end up with “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” scenario with the pandemic. When will the “leaders” of this nation realize you can’t have it both ways. But this book just demonstrates that line of thinking and that thirst for power and corruption has been around a long time.
February 3, 2015
First and foremost, this book is LONG, so don't attempt it unless you have the time to dedicate to it. I was debating if Welsome could cut any of the background on the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos, the Japanese bombings, etc. but after much reflection I've concluded she probably cut as much as she probably could without losing the narrative for the uninitiated. Of course, if you're already well-versed in the historical background, much of it will be repetitive, but in the context of human experimentation the threads tie together very interestingly. Other reviewers found the massive cast of characters hard to manage, but again, if you've ever read anything about the Manhattan Project, you've dealt with this problem as there were numerous scientists involved in every aspect.
So, if you can handle the long, complicated, and cast-saturated narrative, this book is VERY compelling. Extremely depressing at times, but a significant portion of American history that NEEDS to be shared in order to prevent it from happening again. Speaking of which, never trust a terminal diagnosis without a second opinion, preferably from a non-government-funded doctor.
So, if you can handle the long, complicated, and cast-saturated narrative, this book is VERY compelling. Extremely depressing at times, but a significant portion of American history that NEEDS to be shared in order to prevent it from happening again. Speaking of which, never trust a terminal diagnosis without a second opinion, preferably from a non-government-funded doctor.
April 4, 2009
The Plutonium Files by Eileen Welsome garnered her a Pulitzer Prize for its writing. This is a part of our country's history that so many people know very little about - yet it continues to impact us today. This book should be required reading by any Civics or history class studying the second world war and the Cold War. The interestingly applied approach to ethics during this time in history, which resulted in thousands of unsuspecting American citizens being injected with Plutonium, Uranium, and radionuclides without their knowledge or consent, leaves room for one to speculate about transparency at every level within the nuclear complex, and various decisions that have been made throughout the decades to push reactors beyond their prescribed levels, and to dispose of waste with such reckless disregard for human exposure and/or safety for the short-and-long term. The Plutonium Files puts a face on every human radiation experiment - which was declassified by President Clinton in the mid-1990's as he formed the Radiation Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments. Despite the importance of this event, our country was too busy watching OJ Simpson's speeding bronco to pay attention and educate themselves about the decades of human experimentation on U.S. citizens. If that isn't a wake up call in and of itself as to what we consider news - and what we should be paying attention to verses what we ARE paying attention to, I don't know what is. This book is GREAT reading, very well written, and very educational.
September 9, 2017
This book was an incredibly disturbing account of classified experiments associated with the Manhattan project. Many of the experiments were performed on patients without their consent or knowledge. However disturbing, it's an important read for those interested in history, ethics, and medicine.
July 15, 2018
Outstanding book on a subject that will make you uncomfortable, make you very angry, and make you question authority, especially if it’s the federal government. So well written factually and a tribute to those who were victims. I will never forget this book.
July 24, 2024
Who up comprehending these man made horrors???
This book is really a cycle of being like “omg i can’t believe they would do this” and then very quickly realizing that you can very easily believe that the government and scientists working with them would do this. This happens over and over again.
I’m not quite sure what to say about this, and I don't totally know on what basis I want to rate nonfiction books now or in the future, so i’ll say a bunch of random things.
The writing was good, not that I noticed it too much (with all the horrible shit being described). One thing that really stuck out to me were the descriptions of the people being described. They were simple, only a couple words, but they were really captivating and somehow gave readers a good feel for the personality being described. I did not, however, like when the author felt it necessary to describe some of these people as attractive. Mostly because when I looked them up I found that I did not agree. Did she add this for variety? Her personal opinions? The opinions of people at the time? It’s bothering me.
One thing about the writing that wasn’t bad but definitely confused my previously ignorant self was the mix between thematic and chronological groupings of events. The book was generally chronological, but with events grouped by themes within that. However, when it would change from one theme/idea to another, it would go back or forward and time and would be a bit jarring and confusing. I do think this would be less confusing if this book wasn’t my introduction to this topic.
On the other hand, one thing that was very beginner friendly was the balance between the context of the bomb project and the medical project(s).
In terms of the actual content of the book… What can I really say because the book speaks for itself and nobody should really need an explanation for why these actions are atrocities.
One of the most personally relevant take-aways for me is how privileged doctors don’t see their poor patients as people. There is a point in here where a doctor is quoted saying that he and his peers felt like they deserved to use their poor patients as experimental subjects since their taxes were paying for their medical. For me, this is sticking with me because it’s not something spurred by a new technological advance or an opportunity created in a unique period of wartime secrecy, it’s a mindset formed by the system that is still around today. This disconnect and lack of empathy present in doctors and future doctors (especially wealthier ones) that’s sickeningly obvious and it makes me terrified to think of what might be going on and what may happen with future technology.
Anyways, other things this book talked about that stuck out to me that I don’t really feel like re-describing because it’s all in the book:
- Medicine and the military
- Everything is propaganda
- The fact that everywhere on earth is contaminated with atomic waste of some kind
- Fucking with medical records to the point where some families will never know the actual source of some of their problems
- And other fun, hopeful stuff
On the bright side, I read a non-fiction book! Everybody cheer!
This book is really a cycle of being like “omg i can’t believe they would do this” and then very quickly realizing that you can very easily believe that the government and scientists working with them would do this. This happens over and over again.
I’m not quite sure what to say about this, and I don't totally know on what basis I want to rate nonfiction books now or in the future, so i’ll say a bunch of random things.
The writing was good, not that I noticed it too much (with all the horrible shit being described). One thing that really stuck out to me were the descriptions of the people being described. They were simple, only a couple words, but they were really captivating and somehow gave readers a good feel for the personality being described. I did not, however, like when the author felt it necessary to describe some of these people as attractive. Mostly because when I looked them up I found that I did not agree. Did she add this for variety? Her personal opinions? The opinions of people at the time? It’s bothering me.
One thing about the writing that wasn’t bad but definitely confused my previously ignorant self was the mix between thematic and chronological groupings of events. The book was generally chronological, but with events grouped by themes within that. However, when it would change from one theme/idea to another, it would go back or forward and time and would be a bit jarring and confusing. I do think this would be less confusing if this book wasn’t my introduction to this topic.
On the other hand, one thing that was very beginner friendly was the balance between the context of the bomb project and the medical project(s).
In terms of the actual content of the book… What can I really say because the book speaks for itself and nobody should really need an explanation for why these actions are atrocities.
One of the most personally relevant take-aways for me is how privileged doctors don’t see their poor patients as people. There is a point in here where a doctor is quoted saying that he and his peers felt like they deserved to use their poor patients as experimental subjects since their taxes were paying for their medical. For me, this is sticking with me because it’s not something spurred by a new technological advance or an opportunity created in a unique period of wartime secrecy, it’s a mindset formed by the system that is still around today. This disconnect and lack of empathy present in doctors and future doctors (especially wealthier ones) that’s sickeningly obvious and it makes me terrified to think of what might be going on and what may happen with future technology.
Anyways, other things this book talked about that stuck out to me that I don’t really feel like re-describing because it’s all in the book:
- Medicine and the military
- Everything is propaganda
- The fact that everywhere on earth is contaminated with atomic waste of some kind
- Fucking with medical records to the point where some families will never know the actual source of some of their problems
- And other fun, hopeful stuff
On the bright side, I read a non-fiction book! Everybody cheer!
May 18, 2023
For those interested in Atomic History, this book is required reading. And I would highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in Medical Ethics regardless of their familiarity with atomic subjects.
Every page of The Plutonium Files is a densely packed unraveling of decades upon decades of declassified government records, personal testimonials, published journals, and interview transcripts. The amount of care and detail Welsome poured into this book's research shines through in every chapter. She expertly navigates multiple dense subjects without insulting the reader or dumbing down the depth of her topics and insures that her readers will walk away with a greater understand of radioactivity, the men who worked with these substances, the medical consequences of exposure, the political maneuvering of the 40's and the 90's, and knowing the names and a small fraction more about those unconsentually affected by experimentation.
It will read like a horror story. And in hindsight will come a mounting sense of dread as the book continuously resets and walks beside the cognitive dissonance, arrogance, and decisions made by the United States Government and dozens of researchers through more than half a century. It will hurt to read about the incarcerated, the low-income pregnant women, the black community, the terminally sick, the mentally ill, and disabled who were all viewed as replaceable and treated like trash. But I urge those interested in this book to time their time, to read slow, and to come up for air frequently. It is easy to loose yourself in the weight and the mire of it all, but The Plutonium Files is history that deserves to be known and understood.
On a final, personal note, I believe the most important takeaway for readers of The Plutonium Files now is stated by Welsome in the final sentiments of her work: Trust comes from consistent behavior and honest communication over a long period of time. The victims exposed to or dosed with radioactive materials lost trust in the institutions that they believed in and relied upon, from the military to the medical. That broken trust was passed down to us: their children, their families, our communities, and that distrust-- that mysterious wound that splits and festers and struggles to heal-- has a half-life far longer than the isotopes that lingered in their bones.
Every page of The Plutonium Files is a densely packed unraveling of decades upon decades of declassified government records, personal testimonials, published journals, and interview transcripts. The amount of care and detail Welsome poured into this book's research shines through in every chapter. She expertly navigates multiple dense subjects without insulting the reader or dumbing down the depth of her topics and insures that her readers will walk away with a greater understand of radioactivity, the men who worked with these substances, the medical consequences of exposure, the political maneuvering of the 40's and the 90's, and knowing the names and a small fraction more about those unconsentually affected by experimentation.
It will read like a horror story. And in hindsight will come a mounting sense of dread as the book continuously resets and walks beside the cognitive dissonance, arrogance, and decisions made by the United States Government and dozens of researchers through more than half a century. It will hurt to read about the incarcerated, the low-income pregnant women, the black community, the terminally sick, the mentally ill, and disabled who were all viewed as replaceable and treated like trash. But I urge those interested in this book to time their time, to read slow, and to come up for air frequently. It is easy to loose yourself in the weight and the mire of it all, but The Plutonium Files is history that deserves to be known and understood.
On a final, personal note, I believe the most important takeaway for readers of The Plutonium Files now is stated by Welsome in the final sentiments of her work: Trust comes from consistent behavior and honest communication over a long period of time. The victims exposed to or dosed with radioactive materials lost trust in the institutions that they believed in and relied upon, from the military to the medical. That broken trust was passed down to us: their children, their families, our communities, and that distrust-- that mysterious wound that splits and festers and struggles to heal-- has a half-life far longer than the isotopes that lingered in their bones.
September 29, 2020
This is my favorite book.
This book is full of crazy facts like that it's really important not to look into an exploding atomic bomb because it might vaporize the inside of your eyeballs. Or give your eye doctor a really cool mushroom-cloud shaped spots to look at. It's also full of really gruesome information like that the American government injected an unwitting four year old dying of bone cancer with plutonium to see what would happen. Spoiler alert: they did not think it would make him better.
I feel like this book gave me better understanding of just how fucked up life can be. There's so much information in here that has touched all of us, whether or not we know it. A lot of this happened during my parents lifetime. It happened to them, and by extension it impacted me. This is our history. It's insane to me that this isn't something we ever talk about. This is one of the most important books I've ever read and I think everyone needs to read it.
This book is full of crazy facts like that it's really important not to look into an exploding atomic bomb because it might vaporize the inside of your eyeballs. Or give your eye doctor a really cool mushroom-cloud shaped spots to look at. It's also full of really gruesome information like that the American government injected an unwitting four year old dying of bone cancer with plutonium to see what would happen. Spoiler alert: they did not think it would make him better.
I feel like this book gave me better understanding of just how fucked up life can be. There's so much information in here that has touched all of us, whether or not we know it. A lot of this happened during my parents lifetime. It happened to them, and by extension it impacted me. This is our history. It's insane to me that this isn't something we ever talk about. This is one of the most important books I've ever read and I think everyone needs to read it.
August 18, 2009
Documents excellent grounds on which to be suspicious of both the US government and the US scientific establishment.
July 25, 2011
OMG it's a long read with a lot of information that seems to get redundant, but the topic is interesting.
January 20, 2016
It's incomprehensible the things done to people in the name of science. Many years ago people were sterilized and worse. Not a happy read by any means. It's shocking yet informative.
January 10, 2024
Wow! This book is filled with pertinent information especially when government cover ups continue with the propaganda of Covid shots constantly coming from the government and news agencies. This book gives an in depth look on human experimentation using radioactivity including plutonium injections & full body radiation. These experiments were done on humans without informed consent for many years after WWII. Pregnant women were given radioactive cocktails to drink at Vanderbilt University. Prisoners in Oregon and Washington were injected with radioactive material in their testicules. Unknowning patients in San Francisco, Rochester, & Chicago were injected with plutonium. Patients were experimented on in Cincinnati too. There was 50 years of cover up, and there are still many people that don’t know they were experiments. Soldiers were put on ships that had had an atomic bomb dropped near it 2 hours prior. Others were placed near testing sites when bombs were dropped. Humans were tested to look at the light when the bomb exploded for 2 seconds knowing they would have radiation burns and blindness. One soldier had an inverted mushroom from where he looked at the bomb. They put bunnies facing a bomb drop every few miles away and forced them to look at the detonation of the atomic bomb. After which, they killed the bunnies to research their eyes and other effects from the bomb. It’s unbelievable how government officials hid these experiments from the public and how doctors and scientists were ok experimenting on human beings without the patient’s full informed consent. When tasked with government accountability, the committee in the 90s couldn’t specifically blame anyone even though it was obviously governmental and scientific overreach. I will be leery of ever going to a university hospital after reading this book, and I’m going to be even more cautious about accepting doctor and the CDC recommendations for vaccines due to the amount of cover-up shown in this book. Every American needs to read this book and be amazed at what the government has done to its own citizens.
May 30, 2018
Required reading. Take away, for one thing, that the nuclear program and its prolific exploding of warheads has tainted millions of human beings...which is not to say we have all been exposed to deadly levels, but that the excuse and the representation were the tests were necessary; thus our government chose to mark us all down as assuming the risks for security's sake. But this became a begged question, under a shroud of secrecy that allowed any experiment or test to be green-lighted, "for national security". Then all of the experiment's mechanisms could be hidden.
Take away, for a second thing, that the doctors who oversaw human experimentation often spoke quite unselfconsciously in terms that made their hierarchical beliefs apparent: that they thought some people had fewer natural rights than others; that they could conceive of sacrificing, by dictat, unwitting participants for "the cause".
Take away, for a third thing, that we will find ourselves here again. If Americans are not vigiliant, we will see more nuclear testing, more of the representation that somehow the data obtained from victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; from soldiers, and sailors, and pilots ordered to "clean up" and to participate in exercises; and from victims of the many accidents the experiments, tests, and production of nuclear weapons and their components engendered, is not enough...that further "testing" is needed. For security.
Take away, for a second thing, that the doctors who oversaw human experimentation often spoke quite unselfconsciously in terms that made their hierarchical beliefs apparent: that they thought some people had fewer natural rights than others; that they could conceive of sacrificing, by dictat, unwitting participants for "the cause".
Take away, for a third thing, that we will find ourselves here again. If Americans are not vigiliant, we will see more nuclear testing, more of the representation that somehow the data obtained from victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; from soldiers, and sailors, and pilots ordered to "clean up" and to participate in exercises; and from victims of the many accidents the experiments, tests, and production of nuclear weapons and their components engendered, is not enough...that further "testing" is needed. For security.
August 19, 2020
A Look Back At Radiation Experiments
This book looks back at the history of human radiation experiments that began in the United States during the Manhattan Project. Under the guise of new treatment for cancer and other maladies, scientists and some medical doctors performed heinous experiments on poor, often uninsured and sometimes misdiagnosed patients to " gain information" about the effects of radiation.
Members of the armed forces were also subjected to various forms of radiation via fall out from the testing of bombs, pilots and their crews were also exposed to high doses of radiation while collecting samples of the mushroom clouds.
Then there were experiments performed on prisoners, children living in institutions, and pregnant moms and unborn children. All of these experiments were conducted without offering enough information for the human "guinea pigs" to make an informed consent. Some were never even told about their exposure.
The book also covers Hazel O'Leary's attempt to pull back the curtains on this matter. The author does her best to make the science and jargon of radio-isotopes understandable for those of us who have not studied radiation biology. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the Manhattan Project and it's legacy.
This book looks back at the history of human radiation experiments that began in the United States during the Manhattan Project. Under the guise of new treatment for cancer and other maladies, scientists and some medical doctors performed heinous experiments on poor, often uninsured and sometimes misdiagnosed patients to " gain information" about the effects of radiation.
Members of the armed forces were also subjected to various forms of radiation via fall out from the testing of bombs, pilots and their crews were also exposed to high doses of radiation while collecting samples of the mushroom clouds.
Then there were experiments performed on prisoners, children living in institutions, and pregnant moms and unborn children. All of these experiments were conducted without offering enough information for the human "guinea pigs" to make an informed consent. Some were never even told about their exposure.
The book also covers Hazel O'Leary's attempt to pull back the curtains on this matter. The author does her best to make the science and jargon of radio-isotopes understandable for those of us who have not studied radiation biology. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the Manhattan Project and it's legacy.
February 11, 2021
I walked out of the library with the weighty tome in my hand; I expected a long slog that would put me to sleep. Instead, I got a page turner! In 2014 I worked with Florian Oelck to produce "From Hiroshima to Fukushima to You" a handbook on radiation and health. We covered a lot of authors. i did the reading; he did the research. I had been a complete believer in the promise of nuclear power, but opposed to nuclear bombs in university & a science student. This book, "The Plutonium Files", tells a story that unfolded within my lifetime, a story of incredible pompousness, deception, and cruelty. The nuclear industry has always known about the effects of ionizing radiation. They minimize the danger of ionizing radiation and publicly ridicule their opponents. They own the media - the people they experimented upon then and today don't. As a youth, I was fascinated by nuclear physics, science fiction and atomic power - I still am but humans haven't yet matured to deal with it. We no longer have the urgency of a war so we have to slow down; to make it "green" we have to deal with the waste.
May 29, 2018
Very comprehensive book about the secretive testing of the “atomic” age
This is a very compelling and complete book regarding some of the secret experiments that went on during the early days of the atomic age. Unconscionable testing on patients, healthy subjects, the poor, military pilots, sailors, soldiers, healthy subjects, pregnant women, animals, children, orphans, mentally incapacitated, local residents, prisoners, cancer patients and patients suffering from various diseases, without their consent and some without their knowledge. Scientists and physicians ignored the moral imperatives of the Nuremberg code and the ethical implications of their actions. In fact, in some ways, all of us living on the planet during the nuclear environmental tests and still today...we may all be paying the price of radiation that has swept the globe and still exists today. Scientists playing god, risking all our futures for their own selfish interests in the ploy of knowledge and national security.
This is a very compelling and complete book regarding some of the secret experiments that went on during the early days of the atomic age. Unconscionable testing on patients, healthy subjects, the poor, military pilots, sailors, soldiers, healthy subjects, pregnant women, animals, children, orphans, mentally incapacitated, local residents, prisoners, cancer patients and patients suffering from various diseases, without their consent and some without their knowledge. Scientists and physicians ignored the moral imperatives of the Nuremberg code and the ethical implications of their actions. In fact, in some ways, all of us living on the planet during the nuclear environmental tests and still today...we may all be paying the price of radiation that has swept the globe and still exists today. Scientists playing god, risking all our futures for their own selfish interests in the ploy of knowledge and national security.
October 3, 2023
Anyone who "advocates" nuclear weapons, or about how "impressive" the US / Russian stockpile is should read this and get a better understanding of their true costs, not just in terms of dollars, but in terms of human life.
At some point one should say "enough is enough" but yet we reached 63,632 warheads and a maximum yield of 50 Mt?
Anyhow, this book covers the "human" side of this insanity. The "secret" human experiments which the scientists could have done on themselves if they really needed the data, but opted to do it on others instead?? One has to wonder why, perhaps they had a pretty good idea what they were doing was wrong and harmful?
In many cases people were injected with doses they suspected would be fatal, some survived, some did not.
What was really interesting is that this took place at the same time as the Nuremberg trials, which they were aware were taking place and opted to "hurry up" with the experiments knowing they would be terminated.
At some point one should say "enough is enough" but yet we reached 63,632 warheads and a maximum yield of 50 Mt?
Anyhow, this book covers the "human" side of this insanity. The "secret" human experiments which the scientists could have done on themselves if they really needed the data, but opted to do it on others instead?? One has to wonder why, perhaps they had a pretty good idea what they were doing was wrong and harmful?
In many cases people were injected with doses they suspected would be fatal, some survived, some did not.
What was really interesting is that this took place at the same time as the Nuremberg trials, which they were aware were taking place and opted to "hurry up" with the experiments knowing they would be terminated.
July 21, 2018
This book is essential reading. Welsome has written a thoroughly researched book documenting the complex array of criminal research projects supported by the US government after World War II. Thousands of people- cancer patients, reform school children, military personnel, the poor, the uneducated, the vulnerable- were deliberately exposed to plutonium, uranium, and other radioactive materials in the name of science and national security. There were times when I found myself turning away in anger and disgust at the callousness of the researchers. Welsome documents who approved and carried out the experiments as well as the rationales that guided them. Most importantly, she names and humanizes the victims, giving voice to them and their families. Note, this book contains many disturbing descriptions of the effects of radiation-caused illnesses.
September 3, 2021
A long read but definitely one of the most fascinating books I have read. The incredible amount of detail and research that has gone into writing this book is commendable. This should be named "The Atomic Files" because it not just focuses on plutonium but delves deeper into the Manhattan project, first synthesis of plutonium, the atmospheric tests and last but not least the horrific human experiments.
It's unfortunate to see unwilling participants be subject to such horrific acts, specifically Simeon Shaw's case is heartbreaking. Paired with The Radium Girls, this shows the dark side of the atomic age. It's a wake up lesson for all of us.
It's unfortunate to see unwilling participants be subject to such horrific acts, specifically Simeon Shaw's case is heartbreaking. Paired with The Radium Girls, this shows the dark side of the atomic age. It's a wake up lesson for all of us.
April 4, 2024
Not an easy read, emotionally. The work done by Mrs Welsome is thorough and devastating. The obscene amount of human suffering caused by the nuclear experimentation done during WWII, and for many decades afterwards is astounding.
I heard about the book through Kyle Hill's YouTube Channel, and figured that it's something I should read. He is a journalist and video essayist who focuses on nuclear issues.
A vital reminder of the thin line between hurting and helping.
I heard about the book through Kyle Hill's YouTube Channel, and figured that it's something I should read. He is a journalist and video essayist who focuses on nuclear issues.
A vital reminder of the thin line between hurting and helping.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2018
This book was insanely well-researched and in-depth, and the length of it showcases that well. There is a large cast of characters, and the stories are dense, which makes it sometimes easy to get lost. Having said that, it details a very important piece of US history that gets little attention despite major impacts on people and the practice of ethical medicine.
September 18, 2021
Due to the nature of the content, read this book with personal discretion.
Excellent research and an engrossing story that needs to be told. That being said, it is very graphic and disturbing in certain sections. I personally chose to skip swathes of the book. I would recommend for anyone that has an interest in Cold War or Post Nuclear literature.
Excellent research and an engrossing story that needs to be told. That being said, it is very graphic and disturbing in certain sections. I personally chose to skip swathes of the book. I would recommend for anyone that has an interest in Cold War or Post Nuclear literature.
December 22, 2019
A well-researched, well-written, but tough read. The blatant disregard for animals, eco-systems, and human life is appalling and disturbing.
Want to read
February 8, 2020DNF at 26%. May finish one day.
June 20, 2020
Well written book of the horrors of human experimentation and nuclear weapon/fuel development.
November 4, 2020
2.5 stars, really. This was an interesting topic and lengthy by necessity, but not gripping like I expected it to be.
December 26, 2020
Fascinating book. I would love to see an update.
January 20, 2021
This book will make you angry, but if forced to make a top 10 list of books I think every USA citizen should read, this would probably make the list.
Want to read
June 10, 2021#6
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