Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. Lightning War: Nuclear fission; The German nuclear power project; Moderators, isotope separation, and uranium machines; Nuclear power and lightning war; Part II. The War Slows Down: The end of the lightning war; Nuclear power conferences; National Socialism and German physics; Progress and infighting; Part III. The War Comes Home: Wonder weapons; Uranium machines in Berlin-gottow; Greater Germany and cultural imperialism; Death from above and betrayal from within; Part IV. The War is Lost: Evacuation and self-preservation; The heavy water dries up; Harteck's circle, centrifuges, and special experiments; Uranium machines and rock cellars; Part V. The German Achievement in the American Shadow: The Alsos MIssion; Farm Hall; The Smyth Report; Part VI. The Legacy of German National Socialism: The occupation of Germany; Nazification and denazification; The Goudsmit/Heisenberg controversy; Part VII. The Myth of the German Atomic Bomb: Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Promotional Information

A fascinating account of how the Germans tried to develop nuclear fission before and during World War II.

Reviews

'Walker's study, a lucid and dispassionate account of a painful chapter in the history of science, deserves a wide readership.' The Guardian

'… an excellent book: intensely researched, well written, and balanced in its judgments.' The American Historical Review

'… an outstanding book which fills a gap in our knowledge of the Nazi war effort … superbly researched, convincingly argued and attacking the questions that matter.' The Financial Times

'This view of Walker's seems more accurate and is vitally important because subsequently, prominent German physicists, particularly Heisenberg, were to claim that, not only were they 'only doing their duty' but that they actually slowed down the Nazi bomb.' Michael Hindley, Morning Star