Margaret Harris reviews Trinity: an Illustrated History of the World’s First Atomic Test by Emily Seyl and colleagues

Waste of effort Among debris at the Trinity test site in New Mexico is a steel tank known as "Jumbo", which survived the first atomic explosion essentially intact despite being less than 750 metres from ground zero. It cost $12m and was meant to stop plutonium from spraying over the site if the bomb's chain reaction didn't occur. (Courtesy: Los Alamos National Laboratory)"> Waste of effort Among debris at the Trinity test site in New Mexico is a steel tank known as "Jumbo", which survived the first atomic explosion essentially intact despite being less than 750 metres from ground zero. It cost $12m and was meant to stop plutonium from spraying over the site if the bomb's chain reaction didn't occur. (Courtesy: Los Alamos National Laboratory)

One does not simply walk into the Trinity test site.…