Atomic Bill: A Journalist's Dangerous Ambition in the Shadow of the Bomb

Atomic Bill is a film that examines the career of New York Times science journalist William L. Laurence, showing his professional and personal lives to be a cautionary tale of dangerous proximity to power. Laurence was recruited to write government press materials on the atomic bomb, and as the Cold War dawned, he was assessed as a propagandist or a skilled science communicator. He leveraged his perch at the Times to engage in paid speechmaking, book writing, filmmaking, and radio broadcasting, but his work declined in quality and he was forced to retire in 1963 due to a conflict of interest.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2022
Publisher: Cornell University Press

In his book Atomic Bill, Vincent Kiernan delves into the tumultuous career of New York Times science journalist William L. Laurence, offering a cautionary tale of the perils of proximity to power. Laurence's fascination with atomic science and its militarization led him to be recruited to write significant press materials for the government during the Manhattan Project, cementing his position as a leading expert on the atomic bomb. As the Cold War unfolded, opinions on Laurence varied widely, with some viewing him as a propagandist defending the militarization of atomic energy and others recognizing his skills as a science communicator who provided the public with a deep understanding of the bomb.

Laurence capitalized on his position at the Times to engage in various paid ventures, including speechmaking, book writing, filmmaking, and radio broadcasting. However, as his relationships with influential people grew more lucrative, the quality of his work for the Times declined. Atomic Bill exposes shocking ethical lapses by Laurence, including a cheating scandal at Harvard University and plagiarism from press releases about atomic bomb tests in the Pacific. In 1963, a conflict of interest related to the 1964 World's Fair in New York City forced Laurence's retirement from the Times.

Kiernan portrays Laurence as a trailblazer in the field of science and technology journalism, prioritizing sensational coverage of discoveries over objective reporting. This approach, which served the interests of governmental officials and scientists, calls for a reevaluation of our understanding of the dawn of the atomic era.

Weight: 28g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501765636