Idaho Falls

The Untold Story of America's First Nuclear Accident

By: William McKeown

Narrated by: Bob Dunsworth

When asked to name the world’s first major nuclear accident, most people cite the Three Mile Island incident or the Chernobyl disaster. Revealed in this book is one of American history’s best-kept secrets: the world’s first nuclear reactor accident to claim fatalities happened on United States soil. Chronicled here for the first time is the strange tale of SL-1, a military test reactor located in Idaho’s Lost River Desert that exploded on the night of January 3, 1961, killing the three-man maintenance crew on duty.

Through details uncovered in official documents, firsthand accounts from rescue workers and nuclear industry insiders, and exclusive interviews with the victims’ families and friends, this book probes intriguing questions about the devastating blast that have remained unanswered for more than 40 years. From reports of a faulty reactor design and mismanagement of the reactor’s facilities to rumors of incompetent personnel and a failed love affair that prompted deliberate sabotage of the plant, these plausible explanations for the explosion raise questions about whether the truth was deliberately suppressed to protect the nuclear energy industry.

©2003 William Thomas McKeown (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

A mini Chernobyl

The most interesting story that very few people are aware of. Recommended as part of the history of the nuclear industry.

Weird details

Oddly bawdy for no reason. The narrator has a monotone voice that should be doing voice overs for high school non fiction videos so people can sleep.

True Story

this is an interesting story that keeps you attention from beginning to end. There is much to be learned from it too.

Great read

This was a very well written and fascinating look at the human side of a technological tragedy. A little more analysis of the mechanics of the stream explosion itself would have been nice but I guess asking for more is a mark of a good book.

How Did I Not Know About This Incident?

How did I not know about this incident?

In our country's first nuclear accident, personalities and mental stability may have interacted with a design flaw to create tragic results for three nuclear workers and the people charged with recovering their mangled bodies. The text highlights what happened during the nuclear accident, from recovering the pieces to skinning the contaminated bodies to the concerns about their burials--and the botching of the burials.

This book can enhance your appreciation of how nuclear reactors work, why the human factor is important, and why the design has changed from the use of a single control rod to a more complex one.

It's also important to remember that nuclear reactors do not contribute to greenhouse gasses like fossil-fuel plants, but that does not mean that they provide us with a free ride. Our descendants will have a price to pay if we contaminate the air with carbon or radiation.

Nuclear noocyuler

What an interesting incident. Did SL-1 have a flaw so bad it took 3 lives, or was it suicide? The world will probably never know for certain.

Totally spellbinding from beginning to end.

Then narrator, though, could not decide between saying "nuclear" and noocyuler, sometimes in the same paragraph. I found it very annoying to hear from an otherwise we'll-suited voice.

Interesting History

I found this book to be an interesting history about early research into how the United States began developing nuclear energy as a viable form of energy in the late 1940’s into the early 1960’s. It was interesting to learn about what scientists did to learn about how to create a good working reactor and the tests involved to make it happen. And of course, learning about the first nuclear accident while the US was developing nuclear reactors.

I thought the editing process of the narration could have been better. Throughout the book there was a lot of pauses before and after the phrases “he said” or “they said” as if those two phrases were recorded seperately and inserted later.

Pretty good.

This is not really enlightening, but is still entertaining. I enjoyed the performance, but it can be cheesy at times. The recap of events with the family and lifestyle overlays was interesting, but I didn't find the last few chapters a bit tedious save for the last few minutes.

Excellent!

Very well written book with great details. The narration is good in some parts and emotionless in others, very close to sounding like an AI generated voice.

Junior high pronunciation, good story.

This narrator just detracts from the story, his pronunciation is junior high or below. Some words are so bad it requires thought to figure out what was meant!
The story is good.