Fermi-I: New Age for Nuclear Power documents the long road from the beginnings of nuclear power in 1945, to that first proposal in March 1955, and on to November 1972, when the plant was decommissioned. The book covers not only the history of the Fermi Project but also discusses the Atoms for Peace period when the project was conceived and developed, and the factors that motivated and influenced project accomplishment.

The volume also features extensive university archival material - including correspondence between Fermi and biophysicist Leo Szilard and a letter from Harry Truman - with new introductions that provide context for both the history of physics and the academic tradition at the University of Chicago."--Jacket.