Keeper of the nuclear conscience : the life and work of Joseph Rotblat

As Andrew Brown shows in __Keeper of the Nuclear Conscience__, Joseph Rotblat's life--from an impoverished childhood in war-torn Warsaw to an active old age that brought honors and public recognition, including the Nobel Peace Prize--is a compelling human story in itself. What gives it added significance is Rotblat's single-minded dedication to peaceful causes, particularly his pursuit of nuclear disarmament. Here is the first full biography of Joseph Rotblat based on complete access to his private papers. Brown describes how Rotblat overcame poverty and anti-Semitism to become a nuclear physicist, becoming a key member of the British team that worked on the atomic bomb in England and with the Manhattan Project in America. But Rotblat, appalled by the use of atomic bombs against the Japanese and deeply depressed by the brutal death of his wife in the Holocaust, soon became one of the prime architects of the anti-nuclear movement. The book describes his post-war activities under the shadow of Britain's nuclear program, his first political and media encounters, his exposure of the hazards of radioactive fallout, and his friendship with Bertrand Russell. Brown shows that Pugwash, the anti-nuclear group that Rotblat helped form, eventually established an invaluable back-channel link that penetrated the Iron Curtain. Indeed, it was a Pugwash office that facilitated the first meeting between Gorbachev and Reagan. Gorbachev's security advisers were heavily influenced by Pugwash ideas, especially the concept of non-offensive defense in Europe. Rotblat dedicated the last six decades of his life to peaceful causes and to efforts to uphold the ethical application of science. In this engaging biography, we discover a great man whose profound conscience shaped his life and work, and left an important legacy for future generations. Joseph Rotblat was the Jewish nuclear scientist whose disillusionment with nuclear weapons encouraged him to become one of the prime architects of the anti-nuclear movement, and resulted in his lifelong efforts to promote social responsibility in science. His founding of Pugwash and his humanitarian work ultimately led to his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Rotblat's life, from his boyhood in Warsaw under siege and occupation in World War I to an active old age that brought honours and public recognition, is a compelling human story in itself. What gave it significance is the single-minded dedication to peaceful causes, particularly through his pursuit of nuclear disarmament. A key member of the British team that demonstrated the feasibility of the atomic bomb, he was so appalled by the use of the bombs against the Japanese that he founded the Pugwash organization to engage scientists from East and West to prohibit weapons of mass destruction. The story of his life reflects his global actions and his efforts were acknowledged when he was jointly awarded, with Pugwash, the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995. Set against a backdrop of profound changes to the global order - World War II, the Cold War, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, we also learn of his own personal tragedy. Andrew Brown's biography sets out a life whose work poses deep and important questions about science and society. This compelling account draws on full access to Rotblat's archives and presents the full scope of his life: his childhood overcoming poverty and anti-Semitism, his efforts to become a scientist in Warsaw, his work on Britain's nuclear programme, his lifelong dedication to peaceful causes, and his determination to uphold the ethical application of science. Ultimately, we discover a great man whose profound conscience shaped his life and work, and the legacy he leaves today. Cover 1 Contents 12 Abbreviations 14 List of plates 18 1. Growing Up in Warsaw 20 2. Liverpool 40 3. Paradise Denied 62 4. The Bitterness of Victory 78 5. Stepping off the Atomic Train 100 6. Bart’s, Bikini, and the BBC 114 7. Remember your Humanity 138 8. Pugwash 154 9. Of Mice and Moscow 168 10. Towards a Test Ban 184 11. Eggheads and Warheads 210 12. Years of Eclipse 224 13. Latent Progress 240 14. Reaching for the Impossible? 264 15. An Old Man in a Hurry 286 Endnotes 310 Bibliography 340 Index 348 A 348 B 349 C 350 D 352 E 353 F 353 G 353 H 354 I 355 J 355 K 355 L 356 M 356 N 357 O 359 P 359 Q 361 R 361 S 363 T 364 U 365 V 365 W 366 Y 366 Z 366 Joseph Rotblat's life poses deep and important questions about conscience, science and society. This biography presents the full story, from his childhood lived out under anti-Semitism, family tragedy at the hands of the Nazis; work on Britain's nuclear programme; and his single-minded dedication to nuclear disarmament and social responsibility. Biography of British scientist who grew up in Poland, studied nuclear physics, left the Manhattan Project during World War II, promoted peace and social responsbility, created the influential Pugwash Conferences, and shared the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize Andrew Brown. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 321-328) And Index.