Birth of the bomb

This DVD contains two of the best documentary films ever made about the development of nuclear weapons. Together they tell the extraordinary story of the quest for an ultimate weapon - how Germany, Britain, the US and the Soviet Union battled to unleash a terrifying power they did not understand. Produced not long after the era in question, both feature stunning archive footage alongside interviews with key players. The Sunday Times described it as “the best record of the worst weapon”.

Duration: 47 mins

Year of production: 1970

The making and testing of the first atomic bombs. With previously classified archive footage from the US military, this film traces the early experiments in Nazi Germany up to the USA’s Manhattan Project.

Part 2 - Search for the super

Duration: 49 mins

Year of production: 1975

This film details the development of the hydrogen bomb, starting in 1945 at Hiroshima and ending with the first H-bomb detonation at Bikini Atoll.