The Impossible Bomb
the hidden history of british scientists and the race to create an atomic weapon
$85.22
- Hardcover
480 pages
- Release Date
22 July 2025
Summary
The Forgotten Heroes of the Atomic Age: How British Scientists Helped Build the Bomb
The remarkable story of the forgotten British scientists who enabled the Manhattan Project to create the atomic bomb
Atomic weaponry is widely understood as a story of American scientific achievement—but scientists working in Britain played a vital role in its development. Including Nobel Prize winners and Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, these scientists have long since b…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780300284881 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0300284888 |
| Author: | Gareth Williams |
| Publisher: | Yale University Press |
| Imprint: | Yale University Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 480 |
| Release Date: | 22 July 2025 |
| Weight: | 750g |
| Dimensions: | 235mm x 152mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“Sparkles with originality.”—Richard Moore, author of Nuclear Illusion, Nuclear Reality
“Winston Churchill’s wartime military assistant Ian Jacob quipped to him that the Allies won the war “because our German scientists were better than their German scientists”. Three of these scientific refugees from 1930s Nazi Germany who became British citizens played key roles in the pivotal British contribution to creating the apparently all-American atomic bomb—the subject of Gareth Williams’s history, which reveals and brings to life this crucial but unfamiliar drama.”—Andrew Robinson, author of Einstein on the Run
“A fast-paced yet rigorous account of one of the most important – and deadly – projects in scientific history.”—Richard Toye, author of Age of Hope
“Williams provides a comprehensive, rich and accessible account of the crucial, yet often overlooked role that British scientists played in the development of the atomic bomb. A must read for everyone interested in this important aspect of the history of science, technology and humanity.”—Christoph Laucht, author of Elemental Germans
“An engaging, well-researched account… . The Impossible Bomb reads like an eye-witness account. With colorful descriptions, Williams portrays the British scientists who contributed their insights and expertise to the atomic bomb project. His book is a timely tribute on the 80th anniversary of the Anglo-American project’s success.”—Cynthia C. Kelly, President of the Atomic Heritage FoundationAbout The Author
Gareth Williams
Gareth Williams is emeritus professor and former dean of medicine at the University of Bristol. He is the author of over 200 medical papers and 20 books, including Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox and Unravelling the Double Helix.
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