National Book Award Non Fiction Winner
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
by Richard Rhodes
Summary
A comprehensive history of the science, politics, and personalities behind the Manhattan Project, from early-twentieth-century discoveries in nuclear physics to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Rhodes profiles Bohr, Fermi, Oppenheimer, and Szilard while making the underlying physics accessible to lay readers. The book is widely regarded as the definitive narrative of how humanity acquired the means to destroy itself.
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Historical Context & Significance
Rhodes was praised for making the complex physics of nuclear fission understandable to the average reader while maintaining the moral gravity of the story.