Heisenberg's War

By Thomas Powers,

Book cover of Heisenberg's War: The Secret History Of The German Bomb

Book description

One of the last secrets of World War II is why the Germans failed to build an atomic bomb. Germany was the birthplace of modern physics it possessed the raw materials and the industrial base and it commanded key intellectual resources. What happened?In Heisenberg's War , Thomas Powers tells of…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Heisenberg's War as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

As it turns out, the Germans never got close to building an atomic bomb—largely because of some major mistakes at the outset (one of them made by their top nuclear chemist because of a crisis in his love life). Powers, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, created some controversy because of his portrayal of the man who didn’t build the German bomb. That controversy continues. 

I once had to physically separate the author from his critics and threaten to remove disruptive protesters from the audience when I moderated a session on the history of the German bomb at the Smithsonian.  

As the world slid into WWII, the German Werner Heisenberg was considered by other scientists to be the world’s greatest practicing physicist.

He was, in fact, a major reason that those at Los Alamos who knew him, believed that with Heisenberg leading an effort to produce an atom bomb, Germany might already be ahead in the race. And if they got there first, Hitler could very well win the war. As it turned out, there was no race, Germany’s effort was pathetic.

If Power’s attempt to acquit Heisenberg by suggesting he had deliberately held back is not quite successful, he…

From Shirley's list on the race to build the first atomic bomb.

If you love Heisenberg's War...

Ad

Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

Want books like Heisenberg's War?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Heisenberg's War.

Browse books like Heisenberg's War

Book cover of The Making of the Atomic Bomb
Book cover of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Book cover of Oppenheimer: Portrait of an Enigma

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,006

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like Heisenberg's War, you might also like...

Book cover of American Flygirl

American Flygirl by Susan Tate Ankeny,

The first and only full-length biography of Hazel Ying Lee, an unrecognized pioneer and unsung World War II hero who fought for a country that actively discriminated against her gender, race, and ambition.

This unique hidden figure defied countless stereotypes to become the first Asian American woman in United States…

Book cover of Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence

Need to Know by Nicholas Reynolds,

The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.

Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in technology, physicists, and Germany?

Technology 133 books
Physicists 44 books
Germany 496 books