The Smuggled Atom Bomb

By: Philip Wylie

Narrated by: Matt Patterson

A graduate student stumbles across an insidious plot to unleash nuclear terror on America's greatest cities in a blood-chillingly prescient tale from one of thriller fiction's 20th-century masters.

Personable, good looking, and a whiz at physics, graduate student Allan Diffenduffer "Duff" Bogan has a bright future ahead of him. But while staying at the home of an invalid widow in Florida, Duff makes a discovery that freezes his blood: a cache of uranium hidden in the locked closet of a fellow guest. The FBI is initially skeptical, but Duff knows all too well what his findings portend. Suddenly, not only is his future in jeopardy, but the fate of millions of Americans hangs in the balance as well. If he cannot expose the horrific plot his nation's enemies set in motion years before, entire cities will be reduced to piles of radioactive rubble in an unthinkable nuclear nightmare stretching from coast to coast. And time, it seems, is rapidly running out.

©1951 Philip Wylie; Copyright renewed 1979 by Frederica Wylie and Karen Pryor (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

astounding story

loved everything about this d tory. especially loved how the characters developed and eventually all were United. great storyline and ending.. narrative performance excellent

Classic Wylie

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes and no. The subject matter is dated as are the attutides and actions of the characters.

Any additional comments?

This is vintage Wylie. I love the writings of Phil and have read much of what he wrote from fiction, to Generation of Vipers,to the fishing stories. AND I DON"T FISH.

More books

More, we need more,
Books by him
Please maybe have many more books by him

1950's nuclear fears

Philip Wylie's The Smuggled Atom Bomb is a 1951 tale of nuclear threat. A physics grad student (who likes to pick locks), discovers a fellow rooming house boarder has a stash of uranium in his closet. The FBI is initially not interested. believing that theft of nuclear material is all but impossible. He works on the assumption (an idea from a girlfriend) that rather than stealing US uranium, foreign uranium is being smuggled into the country. This leads to a wild series of detective escapades that ends up getting him and his girlfriend kidnapped.

Wylie was prescient in zeroing in on the nuclear threat fear that would dominate the 50's and 60's. While the idea of a suitcase nuc was not raised, he did suggest this possibility with atom bomb parts being smuggled into the US around the size of a suitcase.

The narration is acceptable with adequate character distinction. The short run time makes for a quick listen.

Worth a listen

Being of a certain age now, and having grown up in FL around the time this story is set, all rang true, especially the terrifying fears in case of nuclear attack.
I was there during the Cuban missile crisis and this story brought it all back to mind (ducking under our desks as if that would help!!)
People lived a sort of naive & simple life then in spite of those Cold War threats, and all that followed. Florida was so much more open, big skies, sparsely populated, beautiful & a different place then with family ranching, farming and simple joys. This story reminded me of all the goodness in people I experienced growing up there and it felt very much like the life I lived.
Thanks Audible for including this title. A good story, good narration & a wonderful trip down memory lane!!