First published 2025
Harry Truman takes the presidential oath on April 12, 1945, following Franklin Roosevelt's sudden death. Within hours, he learns a secret known only to a select few: America has developed a weapon of unprecedented destructive power. The atomic bomb could end World War II, but it will also usher in an era of global fear and uncertainty. Truman must decide whether to deploy this terrible new technology against Japan. The book follows the Manhattan Project scientists led by J. Robert Oppenheimer as they race to complete their work. It tracks the crews of the Enola Gay and Bock's Car as they prepare for their missions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The narrative captures the experiences of Japanese civilians caught in the blasts, including the hibakusha who survived the explosions and the rescue workers who rushed into the devastation. This oral history reveals the scientific breakthroughs, military calculations, and moral questions surrounding humanity's first use of nuclear weapons.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, non-fiction, military-history, academic, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, oral-history
Setting: Hiroshima, Nagasaki
Period: 1945
608 pages · Hardcover · Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence