The story of the Manhattan Project that produced the world’s first atomic bomb is well known and well told. Without its success, the United States might have invaded Japan’s main island in bloody fashion. Less well-known is the story of how the nuclear ambitions of Nazi Germany failed. With an atomic bomb, Hitler might have annihilated London or New York City and changed the shape of the war. Their ultimate failure determined the course of the war in the European theatre. To fill in this gap in the historical record, Sam Kean offers an eloquent tale of the many individuals involved in forcing the Nazis’ foundering.
Entering World War II, Nazi Germany had more advanced nuclear science than the Allies. After all, they had Werner Heisenberg, who first explored quantum physics, and the so-called Uranium Club. They also had the most advanced rocketry in the world along with access to natural resources that could be used to split an atom. However, in typical Nazi prideful fashion, they made little progress after 1939 and were stunned when the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima after the European war concluded.
Of course, Allied efforts had much to do with this hardship. As brought out in Kean’s telling, a collection of enigmatic figures provoked German futility. Some sabotaged natural resources; spies looked to kidnap key scientific investigators; scientists used their friendly connections with German scientists to undermine efforts. Even an ambassador’s son (Joe Kennedy, Jr.) gave his life in the effort. This huge, multifaceted effort led to the Allies’ ultimate success as World War II ended and the Cold War began.
Kean excellently captures the lively personalities at play in this effort. Like any complex, multi-disciplinary effort, people with different backgrounds, skillsets, and outlooks had to work together to accomplish something big. None of these figures were typical conscripted soldiers. Instead, they embraced their oddities and used their quirks in service of the war effort. While the Manhattan Project gets most of the kudos, this angle of the story deserves more of a hearing.
Anyone interested in twentieth-century history will appreciate this tale. Those interested in the history of science (and particularly of modern physics) will also benefit from a read. Like any good historian of science, Kean goes into detail on the scientific principles while never losing the human dimension to the drama. As such, this book can demystify some of modern physics without entering into complex mathematics underlying the discoveries. Above all, it entertains while informing – and perhaps rewrites part of the script that founded our modern era.
The Bastard Brigade: The True Story of the Renegade Scientists and Spies Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb
By Sam Kean
Copyright (c) 2019
Hachette Audio
ASIN B07RZ2WXVQ
Length: 14:37
Genre: History, History of Science
www.amazon.com