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ajparsons12's review against another edition
3.0
An account of separate stories of generals, scientists, and even a baseball player all doing what they can to try and stop evil. Kean explains things very well and makes big and complicated ideas easy to understand for the reader but at the cost of creating a sometimes slow and boring book that lacks the drive that could make it better.
brighroosh's review against another edition
5.0
The review on Goodreads for this book is 100% true. In places it reads like a spy thriller - I could picture the action clearly of the scientists who, for example, braved bad weather conditions to carry out missions. It would make a great serial show on HBO, Netflix, or other.
Kean explains why finding where they made "heavy water" was so important. Why tracking down uranium that had gone missing was imperative. Because you learn how those are needed to make nuclear fission, and further to prove an atomic bomb was possible.
I felt like I got to know the characters, so I was glad Kean gives details of what happened to everyone after the war. And after their stories had come so alive in the book, I was sad at their inevitable passing.
Kean explains why finding where they made "heavy water" was so important. Why tracking down uranium that had gone missing was imperative. Because you learn how those are needed to make nuclear fission, and further to prove an atomic bomb was possible.
I felt like I got to know the characters, so I was glad Kean gives details of what happened to everyone after the war. And after their stories had come so alive in the book, I was sad at their inevitable passing.
roti_prata's review against another edition
4.0
This was a thriller written in the scientific world based on WW2. That makes a lot of sense only because of the context of the war. We already know of the big leaps in the development of science during wars as countries try to one-up each other for bigger and more powerful killing tools.
Yet, the main focus of this story was not the physical tools but the people developing them. Prior to reading the book, I have already expected espionage and spying work to involve people from diverse backgrounds - academics, newscasters, basically everyone from everywhere. Networks need to be sufficiently different for the net of information to be wide.
But, sending academics to the front lines and having them do the work against other academics is a whole new ball game.
Yes, the book also includes the not so glamorous failures of projects in the War and the incentives that a soldier might possess (Kennedy trying to earn a medal and seeking heroics, nationalist sentiments).
Generally, I liked the book. It was easy to get through and taking the style of separating characters based on chapters and reconciling them in the final few chapters when they experience the same event/mission. There was just enough scientific explanation for the unlearned. Would read it again.
Yet, the main focus of this story was not the physical tools but the people developing them. Prior to reading the book, I have already expected espionage and spying work to involve people from diverse backgrounds - academics, newscasters, basically everyone from everywhere. Networks need to be sufficiently different for the net of information to be wide.
But, sending academics to the front lines and having them do the work against other academics is a whole new ball game.
Yes, the book also includes the not so glamorous failures of projects in the War and the incentives that a soldier might possess (Kennedy trying to earn a medal and seeking heroics, nationalist sentiments).
Generally, I liked the book. It was easy to get through and taking the style of separating characters based on chapters and reconciling them in the final few chapters when they experience the same event/mission. There was just enough scientific explanation for the unlearned. Would read it again.
bookworm_42's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
anniecal's review against another edition
5.0
The perfect book for anyone interested in WW2, the creation of the atomic bomb, or the founding era of the CIA. This book encapsulates the messiness of men. It has it all, folks: Nazis, petty scientists, Moe Berg, the OSS, Norwegian ski soldiers, and Joe Kennedy Jr.