Racing for the Bomb : the True Story of General Leslie R. Groves, the Man behind the Birth of the Atomic Age

The untold story of the career officer in the Army Corps of Engineers who oversaw the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project was the most secretive government project the United States had ever undertaken, and would prove to be one of the most consequential in history. While many know about the scientists who developed the atomic bomb, from Oppenheimer to Fermi, too few know the story of the man who ran the operation, Col. Leslie R. Groves. In Racing for the Bomb , historian Robert S. Norris brings essential clarity to this overlooked figure. As one of the head engineers who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon, Groves had proven his skill at marshaling vast resources and conflicting personalities, as well as his ability to handle highly sensitive matters. In September 1942, Groves was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to direct the top-secret research project. He drove the manufacturers, construction crews, scientists, industrialists, and civilian officials to produce the money, the materials, and the plans to build the bomb in only two years. As revealed here for the first time, Groves also played a decisive role in the planning, timing, and targeting of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Norris offers new insights into the complex and controversial questions surrounding those decisions, as well as Groves's actions during World War II, which had a lasting imprint on the Cold War and the nuclear age. "In Norris's lively, richly detailed biography, General Leslie R. Groves finally emerges as the historic, tough, larger-than-life leader who made the atomic bomb happen." —Richard Rhodes, author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb "Norris's narrative is of much use to students of the atomic age." — Kirkus Reviews In September 1942, Colonel Leslie R. Groves was given the job of building the atomic bomb. As a career officer in the Army Corps of Engineers, Groves had overseen hundreds of military construction projects, including the Pentagon. Until now, scientists have received the credit for the Manhattan Project's remarkable achievements. And yet, it was Leslie R. Groves who made things happen. It was Groves who drove manufacturers, construction crews, scientists, industrialists, and military and civilian officials to come up with the money, the materials, and the plans to solve thousands of problems and build the bomb in only two years. It was his operation, and in Racing for the Bomb he emerges as a take-charge, can-do figure who succeeds in the face of formidable odds. Revealed for the first time in Racing for the Bomb , Groves played a crucial and decisive role in the planning, timing, and targeting of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki missions. Norris offers new insights into the complex and controversial questions surrounding the decision to drop the bomb in Japan and Groves's actions during World War II, which had a lasting imprint on the nuclear age and the Cold War that followed. Grove's extensive influence on key institutions of postwar America has been overlooked for too long. In this full-scale biography, which includes archival material and family letters and documents and features several previously unpublished photographs, Norris places Groves at the center of the amazing Manhattan Project story. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home. The untold story of the career officer in the Army Corps of Engineers who oversaw the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project was the most secretive government project the United States had ever undertaken, and would prove to be one of the most consequential in history. While many know about the scientists who developed the atomic bomb, from Oppenheimer to Fermi, too few know the story of the man who ran the operation, Col. Leslie R. Groves. In Racing for the Bomb, historian Robert S. Norris brings essential clarity to this overlooked figure. As one of the head engineers who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon, Groves had proven his skill at marshaling vast resources and conflicting personalities, as well as his ability to handle highly sensitive matters. In September 1942, Groves was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to direct the top-secret research project. He drove the manufacturers, construction crews, scientists, industrialists, and civilian officials to produce the money, the materials, and the plans to build the bomb in only two years. As revealed here for the first time, Groves also played a decisive role in the planning, timing, and targeting of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Norris offers new insights into the complex and controversial questions surrounding those decisions, as well as Groves s actions during World War II, which had a lasting imprint on the Cold War and the nuclear age. In Norris s lively, richly detailed biography, General Leslie R. Groves finally emerges as the historic, tough, larger-than-life leader who made the atomic bomb happen. Richard Rhodes, author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb Norris s narrative is of much use to students of the atomic age. Kirkus Reviews