Overview

During World War II, a group of physicists who had once been close friends found themselves on opposite sides of a deadly race. German scientist Werner Heisenberg and American physicists Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, and Sam Goudsmit were all leading figures in nuclear research. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, their shared passion for science turned into a high-stakes competition to build the world’s first atomic bomb—a weapon that could determine the outcome of the war. Heisenberg had a two-year head start, and the possibility that Nazi Germany might beat the Allies to the bomb terrified American scientists. The Manhattan Project, led by U.S. Army General Leslie Groves, became a massive effort to catch up. Fear of Heisenberg haunted Manhattan Project scientists. At one point, Groves even approved plans to bomb Heisenberg’s lab and assassinate him to stop Germany’s progress. Meanwhile, Sam Goudsmit led a secret military unit tasked with tracking down Heisenberg and uncovering the truth about the Nazi nuclear program. What they found would surprise everyone. The Greatest Scientific Gamble tells the dramatic and little-known story of how personal relationships, wartime fear, and scientific ambition collided in the race to unlock the power of the atom.

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9781611865592

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Reviews

“The Greatest Scientific Gamble tells the gripping story of how science, politics, and human ambition collided in the twentieth century’s most consequential contest. Exploring fascinating details such as Oppenheimer’s case of chicken pox and CBS bulletins from the front lines, Michael Joseloff tells a riveting story of impossible odds, rival geniuses, and the high-stakes gamble that changed the world forever.” —Cynthia C. Kelly, president of the Atomic Heritage Foundation “The Greatest Scientific Gamble is a story we all know the ending to—yet it unfolds with the urgency of a thriller. With meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Michael Joseloff brings fresh perspective to the race between Nazi Germany and the United States to build the bomb. At its core, this is a story of how bold political leadership placed extraordinary trust in science—and backed it with unprecedented investment. That choice helped end a world war and holds powerful lessons for our own time. A gripping, essential account of the moment science changed the world.” —Miles O’Brien, science correspondent for PBS News Hour “If you were captivated by the Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, enthralled by the Tony-winning play Copenhagen, and moved by the modern opera Doctor Atomic, then prepare to be utterly engrossed. In The Greatest Scientific Gamble storyteller and journalist Michael Joseloff masterfully weaves a complex historical tapestry that recounts the top-secret missions to build the atomic bomb. This isn’t just a history book; it’s a pulse-pounding tale of brilliant innovation, clashing personalities, and the high-stakes decisions that ended World War II.” —Brian Schwartz, former MIT physics faculty and emeritus professor of physics at the Graduate Center and Brooklyn College of the City University of New York “The Greatest Scientific Gamble reads like a ripped from the headlines detective story of how the atom bomb and the science that led to it was developed from E=MC2 to the Trinity Site. In his writerly hands, Joseloff makes real the compelling characters and scientists on both sides of the Atlantic and their race to produce an atom bomb. From Robert Oppenheimer to Werner Heisenberg to Enrico Fermi and Leslie Groves, these people all come to life while at the same time, Joseloff also makes comprehensible the complicated science and physics which brought us the nuclear age in which we all still live.” —Timothy Smith, Executive Producer, American Issues Initiative

Author Information

Michael Joseloff is an Emmy award–winning former TV news and documentary producer and author. He was a staff producer at The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour from 1983 to 1995, where he produced hundreds of stories. He also produced content for CBS News Productions, A&E, Discovery Channel, Court TV, Frontline, and CNBC.

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