First published 2002
Alfred Lee Loomis built more than a fortune on Wall Street. At his sprawling Tuxedo Park estate, this wealthy financier created something unprecedented: a private laboratory where the world's most brilliant scientists could gather, experiment, and collaborate without constraint. As World War II engulfs the globe, Loomis opens his doors to researchers fleeing Europe and American academics racing against time. His mansion becomes a crucible of innovation where theoretical physics meets practical engineering. The scientists who work within these walls will help develop technologies that prove decisive in the Allied victory. Conant reveals how one man's vision and resources transformed a luxury retreat into an incubator for scientific breakthroughs that changed the course of history. The story illuminates the intersection of wealth, intellect, and patriotism during America's most critical hour.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, biography-memoir, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Tuxedo Park, Europe, United States
Period: World War II
652 pages · Hardcover · Thorndike Pr