Here is the acclaimed account about the making of one of the most controversial films of the 20th Century: the original 1954 Godzilla (Gojira). The first American book ever published on the subject outside of Japan, Atomic Dreams and the Nuclear Nightmare tells the incredible tale of how the film came about with fascinating anecdotes, eye-witness accounts, contemporary reviews, and personal essays from the filmmakers. Utilizing a veritable storehouse of information the author describes in detail the many forces coming together at the right place at the right time resulting in the cinema's ultimate cautionary tale on atomic experimentation, as well as its grim metaphorical reconstruction of the devastation wrought against the Japanese civilian population near the end of The Second World War. In telling a story as every bit intriguing as the film itself, the author discusses Godzilla's many influences and inspirations, such as the twin atomic bombings, "The Lucky Dragon Incident," the 1933 King Kong, and the incredibly creative talents responsible for its creation, including legendary cinematic icons Eiji Tsuburaya, Akira Ifukube, and Ishiro Honda. A must-read for any aficionado or anyone interested in learning how the longest-running movie series started, Atomic Dreams and the Nuclear Nightmare is as compelling as a creature that to this day is still going strong.