The author introduces readers to a little-known, broad-audience environment of Western European and American scientists who worked on developing nuclear weapons. He doesn’t just document events, but also tries to show them through the lens of changes in the scientists’ own psychology.
The book is valuable for its documentary foundation: the author uses a wide range of materials, including quotes from official documents, transcripts, memoirs, personal correspondence, and even fragments of overheard testimony during interrogations.
Note: an old recording!