In addition to the science of the bomb itself, the book also provides an examination of science's relations to politics and society leading up to the Second World War, mainly through the lives and careers of the scientists involved in the development of the bomb and the discoveries which led to its invention. Rhodes provides what amount to capsule biographies for nearly every major physicist of the twentieth century.
I actually found the first half of the book, which deals with the major developments up to the beginning of the war, more interesting than the last half, which deals with the founding of the Manhattan Project and the building and dropping of the bombs. The early twentieth century seems to have a been a golden age of physics, as breakthroughs followed hot on the heels of one another, and every few years a young scientist emerged to take the work of his predecessors a little farther. Or maybe it only seems that way because their work ultimately produced such tangible, devastating results. The latter half has its share of amzing scientific problems to be solved, but I found the endless infighting amongst the scientists, the Army, and various government bodies a little wearying. I also don't agree with the author's suggestion that a nuclear arms race with the Soviets could have been avoided through a sharing of nuclear technology, as postwar history shows that the Soviets could never be trusted to do anything in the interests of peace.
This is definitely the definitive work on the Manhattan Project and the development of nuclear weapons. A wealth of information on the building of the bomb and everything related to it. Recommended for anyone interested in history or science.
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