ABSTRACT

Three Mile Island explains the far-reaching consequences of the partial meltdown of Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island power plant on March 28, 1979. Though the disaster was ultimately contained, the fears it triggered had an immediate and lasting impact on public attitudes towards nuclear energy in the United States. In this volume, Grace Halden contextualizes the events at Three Mile Island and the ensuing media coverage, offering a gripping portrait of a nation coming to terms with technological advances that inspired both awe and terror. Including a selection of key primary documents, this book offers a fascinating resource for students of the history of science, technology, the environment, and Cold War culture.

chapter 1|30 pages

Atoms for War

World War II and the Cultural History of Early Nuclear Development

chapter 2|35 pages

Atoms for Peace

Nuclear Power and the Influence of the Long 1960s

chapter 3|45 pages

When Science and Society Collide

The Three Mile Island Accident in Human Context

chapter 4|34 pages

Nuclear Reactions

Three Mile Island in Popular Culture

chapter 5|36 pages

Fears and Fallout

Three Mile Island’s Legacy, Chernobyl, and Fukushima