Book Description

The FBI's Chief Explosives Scientist takes readers to blast zones, forensics laboratories, field tests, and more in pursuit of modern history's most notorious bombers. Join his dedicated team as they work disassembling, reassembling, detonating, and studying explosives to identify (and hopefully incarcerate) criminals bent on mass destruction, and to prevent others from wreaking further havoc. Oklahoma City. The Boston Marathon. Syria. The USS Cole. The Collar Bomber. There is no shortage of tragic bombings in today's world, where terrorism--waged by hate groups and radical individuals alike--is among the defining fears of a generation. But what if history and forensic science reveal an even more sinister truth: that bombs have been a tool of terror for more than a century, since explosives emerged? Bomb Scene Investigation threads the history of bombings with a twenty-first century understanding of the materials and mechanics of dangerous explosives through the eyes of America's chief expert--the first working FBI official granted permission to share bomb investigation stories while still at the agency. Follow along as Dr. Kirk Yeager leads his impressive forensic team into crime scenes of mass destruction--literally hot on the heels of those who have tried to blow our sense of security to bits. From Oklahoma City to the Boston Marathon and more, Dr. Yeager's team has been at the front lines of today's most important bomb scene investigations--meticulously putting the charred pieces back together to identify culprits around the world. Looking back on history and his career, Dr. Yeager shows that evil is not a new permutation in human behavior, and that science--even the science of explosives--is a distinctly human endeavor, for better or for worse. Bomb Scene Investigation unveils the fascinating and often frightening world of bomb detectives through the lens and mind of the FBI scientist, often darkly humorous, known as "Dr. Bomb."