Impossible Bomb

Gareth Williams is emeritus professor and former dean of medicine at the University of Bristol. He is the author of over 200 medical papers and 20 books, including Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox and Unravelling the Double Helix.

A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year“A significant contribution to our understanding of ‘the most significant international collaboration of the 20th century.’ It’s eminently readable, too.”—Christopher Harding, Telegraph“Myth-busting.”—Kathryn Hughes, Daily Mail“Williams’ book impeccably documents those events, with an excellent selection of photos, timelines, and maps, along with a handy reference list featuring key players. A significant and captivating contribution to the history of science, politics, and warfare.”—Kirkus Reviews“Fast-paced and masterly corrective.”—Matthew Jones, BBC History Magazine"A tour de force . . . laced with fascinating stories."—Shirley Hodgson, Medicine, Conflict and Survival“Williams opened my eyes to the role of British science in the development of nuclear weapons.”—Christopher Harding, BBC History Magazine“Sparkles with originality.”—Richard Moore, author of Nuclear Illusion, Nuclear Reality“Winston Churchill’s wartime military assistant Ian Jacob quipped to him that the Allies won the war ‘because our German scientists were better than their German scientists.’ Three of these scientific refugees from 1930s Nazi Germany who became British citizens played key roles in the pivotal British contribution to creating the apparently all-American atomic bomb—the subject of Gareth Williams’s history, which reveals and brings to life this crucial but unfamiliar drama.”—Andrew Robinson, author of Einstein on the Run“A fast-paced yet rigorous account of one of the most important—and deadly—projects in scientific history.”—Richard Toye, author of Age of Hope “Williams provides a comprehensive, rich and accessible account of the crucial, yet often overlooked role that British scientists played in the development of the atomic bomb. A must read for everyone interested in this important aspect of the history of science, technology and humanity.”—Christoph Laucht, author of Elemental Germans“An engaging, well-researched account. . . . The Impossible Bomb reads like an eye-witness account. With colorful descriptions, Williams portrays the British scientists who contributed their insights and expertise to the atomic bomb project. His book is a timely tribute on the 80th anniversary of the Anglo-American project’s success.”—Cynthia C. Kelly, president, Atomic Heritage Foundation