Box and Books

Box
World War II was a different kind of war. After the revelations of World War II, Sandburg believed the greatest threat to humanity was something he called the war of the unknown. He crafted a poem to articulate his fear of this type of war called, The Unknown War. Interestingly, the era of Cold War that followed World War II, was all about the race to acquire atomic weaponry. Sandburg kept up with it, even dedicating a large box to his "Atomic" collection.

The bombs of the next war, if they control, hold the Unknown blasts-
the bacterial spreads of the next war, if they control, reek with the
Unknown-the round-the-curve-of-the-earth guided missiles of the
next war, should they control, will have the slide and hiss of the Un-
known-the cosmic rays or light beams carrying a moonshine kiss of
death, if and when they control, will have the mercy of the sudden
Unknown.
We shall do what is necessary.
We shall meet the inevitable.
We shall be prepared.
We shall stand before the Unknown,
aware of the controlling factor
the controlling factor
the controlling factor
-the Unknown
(page 561, Niven)
Paper. H 27.5, W 30.7, D 21.1 cm
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, CARL 45532

Books
Hersey, John. Hiroshima. New York, NY: Knopf, 1946.

Dietz, David. Atomic Energy in the Coming Era. New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1945.



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