"A hard-edged history of a center of Cold War death-dealing technology. . . . Ackland also serves up a useful summary of American nuclear policy in the Cold War era . . . . The scary workings of Rocky Flats were far from ordinary. So, too, is this fine book of reportage and history."—Kirkus Reviews
" Making a Real Killing is a model for making sense of the Cold War Atomic West. . . . It combines personal stories, excellent Cold War historical context, simplified technical explanations of complicated nuclear science, labor history, and corporate history into a compelling narrative. . . . Making a Real Killing should find its place not only alongside other recent atomic histories, but also next to the best books on understanding the American West of the last half-century."—Great Plains Quarterly
"(Ackland) skillfully weaves together individual experience with nuclear technology and politics. It's a model of investigation that should be read by all with concerns over the problems that accompany nuclear weapons and power."—Moab Times Independent, UT