America's Atomic Bomb Tests: Operation Tumbler Snapper
In the years after World War II, American scientists and military  officials went on a binge of nuclear-bomb tests in the Southwest; this DVD is a compilation of documentary footage that was intended for internal use and was declassified in 1997.  In this series of tests in the Nevada desert, eight bombs were detonated, and the effects of the blasts were studied, using obsolete WWII aircraft, trees, jeeps, building materials, military equipment, and small shacks as subjects.  Troops also witnessed the explosions from trenches at various distances from ground zero.  The narrator notes the soldiers' fears about the bomb's effects: "Some expected to grow and grow for hours after the blast" (shades ofThe Amazing Colossal Man).  Another chilling note comes from the remark, "From a military standpoint, the blasts over Japan seemed to be pretty effective."  As a historical document, this DVD is  somewhat marred by the fact that the original narration was replaced and low-budget synthesizer music added.  However, it still packs a considerable punch, especially in light of the fact that many American GIs who were on such operations died of radiation-related diseases in ensuing years. Considering the horror of nuclear destruction, it's very jarring to hear something as ghastly as the atomic bomb reduced to cold mathematics and science.  There was so much we didn't know in 1954, and the bomb tests, for better or worse, helped to broaden that knowledge.--Jerry Renshaw