Atomic: The First War of Physics and the Secret History of the Atom Bomb 1939-49 (Paperback)

'I [have] read everything on the subject that I could lay my hands on, but I never read such a good, comprehensive account as Jim Baggott's... Highly recommended.' -- Reader's Digest
'High drama... fascinating reading.' -- BBC Focus Magazine
'Grimly compelling. Thorough and accessible.' -- Daily Telegraph
'The best popular science book of the year to date by far.' -- Popular Science
'Baggott's investigation is an accessible account of the race to build the world's first atomic weapons. Compelling.' -- Good Book Guide
'Atomic is the tale of the creation of the Atomic bomb during wartime, and the political fallout from the realization of these powerful weapons... Most importantly Atomic is about the people and personalities behind the bomb... It's a disturbing book - simply because it's a very disturbing story.' -- Book Geeks
'Comprehensive and clear-flowing book by Jim Baggott... the real nub of this thriller of a book: the human brain is the thing that fills you wit fearful awe.' -- Diplomat Magazine
'This is an excellent example of popular science, explaining a series of difficult concepts clearly and coherently, but without sacrificing accuracy. When combined with the personal stories of the scientists the result is an excellent study of the development of the first atomic bomb.' -- History of War
'Jim Baggott's clear, elegant prose never falters, whether unveiling the scientists and spies who raced to unlock the secrets of the atom bomb, or describing the sub-atomic particle which drove the physicists on to what J Robert Oppenheimer later called 'sin'.' -- Telegraph
'An excellent introduction to a vast and complicated topic.' * Michael Dobbs, New York Times *
'Atomic provides a popular but informed and compelling account of the international competition to produce atomic weapons.' * Chemistry World *