Reddit mentions of Justice Downwind: America's Atomic Testing Program in the 1950s

I copy and pasted most of this from my old notes, so don't think I'm crazy and wrote nearly 9,000 words just for you! But browse these and you'll have a fairly comprehensive idea about the impact of Nuclear testing in the continental US. I tried to find mostly websites and movies, but there are three books at the end if you're into that sort of thing. This is about 1/4 of the source material I had readily available, so if anything specifically interests you let me know and I can give a few more leads probably or answer any questions!

General history

Fifty Years From Trinity by the Seattle Times Company. This website provides the full text of the 1995 article “Fifty Years From Trinity,” by Bill Dietrich, and interactive presentations of information about atomic bombs. Focuses on the Trinity test site, the Nevada test site, and the plutonium production complex at Hanford Washington. Also has interactive learning tools for teachers and students, including a quiz, supplementary articles and documents.


Movies

The Atomic Café (vimeo link to movie) directed by Rafferty, Kevin / Loader, Jayne / Rafferty, Pierce - This creatively edited film depicts American uncertainty, fear, ignorance, and paranoia in the early Cold War, using the very propaganda that instilled these traits into the American consciousness. It is a montage of U.S. government archival footage and newsreel footage from the forties and fifties. It begins with Col. Paul Tibbets narrating his mission that dropped the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, spliced with the footage of the explosion and ensuing human effects. Tibbets describes being demonized for his role, and states that America is suffering an atomic guilt complex. The clips include footage of U.S. Army training. One shows an officer telling soldiers that radiation is nothing to worry about, and then records the men racing into a still smoldering atomic test area. Other footage reflects the suburban paranoia—families gather in bomb shelters believing themselves safe, while children outside practice “Duck and Cover”. A memorable clip shows an American officer explaining to natives of Bikini Atoll that they must be evacuated for the good of mankind.

Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie directed by Kuran, Peter - This documentary film depicts the history of the development of nuclear weapons both within and outside of the United States from 1945 to 1963. It contains incredible atomic bomb footage from declassified materials that were painstakingly restored by the film’s production team, an effort which won an Oscar award for Peter Kuran. The film conveys the extent of nuclear testing that took place during that era, and includes footage of tests on the ground, underwater, suspended from balloons, and in the upper atmosphere. The footage is both visually stunning and unsettling. The film also features an interview with Edward Teller who is widely acknowledged as the “father of the hydrogen bomb.” I'm pretty sure it used to be on Netflix.

Dark Circle directed by Beaver, Chris / Irving, Judy / Landy, Ruth - This award-winning film focuses on the victims of nuclear weapons production, testing, and use. It features the stories of workers at the Rocky Flats, Colorado production facility; residents near the facility; United States servicemen participating in nuclear tests; survivors of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki; and activitists who opposed the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California. Originally produced in 1982, the film was revised in 1991. It stresses the long term human impact of nuclear weapons.

Websites

http://www.atomictestingmuseum.org/ The National Atomic Testing Museum, Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation. The site features a virtual tour of the museum through photos and video clips. I've been to the actual museum and would definitely recommend it if you're ever in Las Vegas!

http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/ State of Nevada: Agency for Nuclear Projects - This is the official website of the Nuclear Waste Project Office of the State of Nevada’s Agency for Nuclear Projects. The website includes links to hundreds of government and other documents, including news clippings, many in PDF format.

http://www.atomicarchive.com/index.shtml Atomic Archive by AJ Software and Multimedia - This website is a comprehensive resource for information on nuclear weapons.The almanac contains information on nuclear facilities, forces, and test sites. The media gallery has photographs, videos, animations, and maps. The store offers items related to nuclear issues such as DVDs, books, and magazines for purchase or subscription. News links and a This Month in Atomic History section are featured on the home page.

http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/ “Radiation Protection” United States Environmental Protection Agency - This is the Radiation Protection section of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States website, which informs citizens of the harmful effects of radiation to people and to the environment and details ways to avoid exposure to radiation.


Fallout/Downwind Books

Justice Downwind: America's Atomic Testing Program in the 1950s book by Ball, Howard (less than $10 on Amazon and definitely worth it) - This book was among the first scholarly studies to examine the ways “downwinders” in Utah were affected by fallout from atmospheric atomic tests in Nevada in the 1950s and their early efforts to gain radiation exposure compensation from the U. S. government. Introductory chapters summarize the development of the atomic bomb and the creation of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the agency that created and operated the Nevada Test Site. Subsequent chapters describe the downwinder communities in southern Utah, their reactions to the above-ground atomic tests, and the health consequences that began to gain national attention in the late 1970s. The author presents medical research on cancer, especially leukemia, in the test site region, and explores legal action by the downwinders, especially Allen v. United States, to win compensatory damages from the federal government. The author’s study period ends in the mid-1980s, well before the U. S. Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to provide money payments to people who suffered cancers linked to the atmospheric tests in Nevada.


Atomic Soldiers: American Victims of Nuclear Experiments book by Howard L Rosenberg. This book describes how the United States military used its own personnel to test the psychological impact of atomic blasts. It also examines the effects of nuclear testing on people who lived close to the Nevada Test Site. In particular, the author, a journalist, uses the story of Russell Jack Dann as an example of what he indicates thousands of United States servicemen endured. He follows the story from the time Dann was recruited to be present at a nuclear blast through his testimony to Congress in 1978 about his experiences. The author sets the context for Dann’s story with background information about the decisions being made at the highest levels of government. The author relies on declassified Pentagon reports and extensive interviews with survivors for his source material, giving the book great authenticity. The majority of the content reflects personal experiences, not scientific information, for which other references should be consulted. (Used on Amazon for <$10.)


The U.S. Atlas of Nuclear Fallout: 1951-1962 Volume I. Total Fallout by Miller, Richard L. This book is a comprehensive study of nuclear fallout in the United States based on published U.S. government documents released in the late 1990s. The fallout from every above-ground test conducted in Nevada is examined in detail, with illustrative maps. The book shows the 80 counties with the highest fallout from each individual test and the fallout for every county in the continental U.S. for each test series. The author also examines the concentrations of different types of radionuclide fallout across the U.S. The book concludes with statistical analyses of the relationships of nuclear fallout, including specific radionuclides, and cancers in the population. Strong relationships were found between fallout distribution and a variety of cancers, particularly female colon cancers and lymphosarcomas. These data were used in research such as the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) study of thyroid cancer. The book is supported by hundreds of pages of maps and tables. This is the abridged general reader edition... look for it at a University library near you, it's way too pricey to own but is a great resource if you're curious about the geographical spread of the fallout.

Edit: clarifying- I wrote all these summaries, they are not just copied and pasted from someone else ;)