Review of Mushroom Cloud

[Madam Tori]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mushroom Cloud" by Thomas Yeggy.]

---

4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Mushroom Cloud is Book 1 of the First Strike series by Thomas J. Yeggy. It is a work of fiction even though the names of various Presidents of the United States of America and timelines of various wars that occurred during their tenures are used. It questioned the decisions of leaders who, in their attempt to win wars and make the first strike, disregarded their citizens' lives, placing nationalistic ideology over humanism.

Dr. Caleb Young was the only child of two physicists who migrated from central Europe in 1919. He was not only a genius who received his Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University in 1939 at the age of 18, but also a good basketball player. People sometimes described him as blunt or arrogant, but he saw himself as a man who knew his worth and was confident in his potential. As such, even at a young age, he was able to gain the attention of the reputable scientist Albert Einstein while at Princeton.

Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach and General George Marshall tried to get information out of Dr. Young on the C.I.A.'s involvement in the plot with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney William Forde. During the questioning of Dr. Young, Mr. Forde was led on a comprehensive journey that included intricate details on the wars fought between the Nazis, NATO, and the Soviet Union from 1933 to 1953. Major countries of focus during this period were the United States of America, Japan, Germany (Berlin), China, North Korea, and South Korea. Also, prominent names such as President Franklin Roosevelt and President Harry S. Truman—Presidents of the U.S.A. during that time—were mentioned alongside Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party, and Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union during that era. Was Dr. Young able to give them the information that they sorted out? Find out for yourself as you read Mushroom Cloud by Thomas J. Yeggy.

I admired the fact that, though Dr. Young was only the Chief Science Officer of the C.I.A., he knew so much about U.S. intelligence that few knew. His urge to learn more about the things going on around him fascinated me. The book was able to give a fictional insight into those in the scientific community who dedicated their lives to the defense of freedom as well as bring to light the shortcomings of some of the paramilitary intelligence organizations set up by the government of the United States of America.

I love how descriptive the author was with his words, making it easy for me to picture every event described in the book. It was as if those historical events were playing out right before my eyes. I appreciate that the author added pictures of the various figureheads mentioned in the novel. I also loved that the book contained a bibliography to enable the readers to make references for more information. Another thing that I admired about the book was that it didn't focus on religion but on the consciences of the various characters—what they thought was right or wrong for the nation's greater good.

One of the book's shortcomings was that the backward and forward flashbacks were confusing. Having a particular date or year at the beginning of the chapter and then going back five or seven years can lead to a lack of understanding of the novel and also slow the reading process.

The book was exceptionally well edited, as I encountered no errors while reading it, so I commend the author. I recommend Mushroom Cloud by Thomas J. Yeggy to lovers of philosophy, science, and war history. Those who love reading books about U.S. history will love this one. The negative aspect I mentioned earlier really affected my reading experience, and because of that, I am rating the book 4 out of 5 stars. Apart from that, the book was great in every other aspect.

******
Mushroom Cloud
View: on Bookshelves

[Obc Contentor]

Your review really explain the book, such that prospective readers do not have difficulty getting the main idea in the book. However the non-functional arrangement of the content a bit flawed the book. But the plot is intriguing.

[Sly Thompson]

I appreciate that the author didn't focus on religion but instead on the characters' consciences. It's nice to see a book that combines science, philosophy, and history. I wonder how the author was able to balance fiction and historical events.

[Daniel Moore 4]

The book sounds like it has a lot of potential to be thought-provoking and educational.
I'm curious about how the author was able to handle such complex topics in a fictional format.

[Salome Ogani]

It's interesting that the author chose to focus on the shortcomings of the paramilitary intelligence organizations instead of just glorifying them. I appreciate that the author didn't shy away from addressing controversial topics.

[Ukaegbu Confidence]

This is the authors perspective of what he believes happened with the wars and everything while avoiding problems with the government of slandering the sharing false news.

[Aswin3848]

The review is impeccable. The style of narration is praise worthy. Would definitely give this one a read