Displaying 1 of 1 2019 Format: Book Author: Kean, Sam, author Title: The bastard brigade : the true story of the renegade scientists and spies who sabotaged the Nazi atomic bomb / Sam Kean. Publisher, Date: New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2019. Description: xii, 447 pages, 24 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm Subjects: United States. War Department. Alsos Mission World War, 1939-1945 -- Science Atomic bomb -- Germany -- History -- 20th century Nuclear physics -- Research -- Germany Science -- Germany -- History -- 20th century Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN: 9780316381680 (hardcover) System Availability: 11 Current Holds: 0 # Local items: 11 Control Number: 1753862 Call Number: 355.8/25119094309044 Course Reserves: 0 # Local items in: 8 # System items in: 8 Place Request Please select and request a specific volume by clicking one of the icons in the 'Where is it?' section below. Add to My List Share Expand All | Collapse All Where is it? Summary From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes the gripping, untold story of a renegade group of scientists and spies determined to keep Adolf Hitler from obtaining the ultimate prize: a nuclear bomb Scientists have always kept secrets. But rarely have the secrets been as vital as they were during World War II. In the middle of building an atomic bomb, the leaders of the Manhattan Project were alarmed to learn that Nazi Germany was far outpacing the Allies in nuclear weapons research. Hitler, with just a few pounds of uranium, would have the capability to reverse the entire D-Day operation and conquer Europe. So they assembled a rough and motley crew of geniuses - dubbed the Alsos Mission - and sent them careening into Axis territory to spy on, sabotage, and even assassinate members of Nazi Germany's feared Uranium Club. The details of the mission rival the finest spy thriller, but what makes this story sing is the incredible cast of characters-both heroes and rogues alike-including: Moe Berg the major league catcher who abandoned the game for a career as a multilingual international spy; the strangest fellow to ever play professional baseball. Werner Heisenberg the Nobel Prize-winning physicist credited as the discoverer of quantum mechanics; a key contributor to the Nazi's atomic bomb project and the primary target of the Alsos mission. Colonel Boris Pash a high school science teacher and veteran of the Russian Revolution who fled the Sovit Union with a deep disdain for Communists and who later led the Alsos mission. Joe Kennedy Jr. the charismatic, thrill-seeking older brother of JFK whose need for adventure led him to volunteer for the most dangerous missions the Navy had to offer. Samuel Goudsmit a washed-up physics prodigy who spent his life huntinh Nazi scientist-and his parents, who had been swept into a concentration camp-across the globe. Ir è ne and Frederic Joliot-Curie a physics Nobel-Prize winning power couple who used their unassuming status as scientists to become active members of the resistance. Thrust into the dark world of international espionage, these scientists and soldiers played a vital and largely untold role in turning back one of the darkest tides in human history. Suggestions and more Trade Reviews Booklist ReviewPrinciples governing nuclear fission were discovered before the outbreak of war in 1939, but the belligerents quickly started plans to turn those principles into weapons of incredible power. The possibility of Hitler gaining possession of the atom's secrets was terrifying for the Allies. For the first time in history, an entire military mission was devoted to derailing an enemy's scientific-research efforts. Kean's (Caesar's Last Breath, 2017) comprehensive and sometimes humorous tale of the efforts to stop the Nazi atomic bomb is an exciting action adventure that enticingly combines science and history. Featuring concise illustrations of atomic physics, each worth a thousand words, and a cast of real-life characters that Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy, and the Marx brothers would have strained to invent, The Bastard Brigade is as entertaining as it is fascinating. Kean's colloquial expressions and metaphors provide levity to the gritty history of a world at war, with the survival of freedom, and possibly humanity, hanging in the balance. He never lets the reader forget what was at stake, often stating that failure could have resulted in the ultimate mushroom cloud. Kean's page-turner about a still too-little-understood chapter in history deserves a prominent place in WWII collections.--James Pekoll Copyright 2019 Booklist Map It Large Cover Image Table of Contents Author's Notep. xiPrologue: Summer of '44p. 3Part IPrewar, to 1939Chapter 1Professor Bergp. 13Chapter 2Near Misses and Big Hitsp. 23Chapter 3Fast and Slowp. 38Chapter 4Crimea to Hollywoodp. 41Chapter 5Divisionp. 48Chapter 6Spinning out of Controlp. 61Chapter 7Banzai Bergp. 75Chapter 8On the Brinkp. 82Part II1940-1941Chapter 9The Uranium Clubp. 91Chapter 10Heavy Waterp. 105Chapter 11Phoney to Realp. 111Chapter 12Mad Jackp. 113Chapter 13Compromisep. 120Chapter 14Harvard Highs and Lowsp. 123Chapter 15Maud Ray Kentp. 126Part III1942Chapter 16Resistancep. 131Chapter 17The Fire Heard 'Round the Worldp. 136Chapter 18Off to Warp. 141Chapter 19Brazil and Beyondp. 147Chapter 20Baja Daysp. 157Chapter 21V-1, V-2, V-3p. 162Chapter 22Lettersp. 164Chapter 23Operation Freshmanp. 169Chapter 24The Italian Navigatorp. 180Part IV1943Chapter 25Secret Messagesp. 187Chapter 26Operation Gunnersidep. 191Chapter 27Consolations of Philosophyp. 207Chapter 28"The Fun Will Start"p. 214Chapter 29Seeing Redp. 220Chapter 30Beautiful Peenemündep. 226Chapter 31PT-109p. 234Chapter 32Blabbermouthp. 238Chapter 33Heavy Water under Firep. 243Chapter 34Alsosp. 250Part V1944Chapter 35Busy Lizziep. 257Chapter 36Groves's Second Assaultp. 261Chapter 37The Ferryp. 264Chapter 38Sharksp. 271Chapter 39Biscay Bluesp. 276Chapter 40The Fat Captainp. 281Chapter 41Augers & Peppermintp. 284Chapter 42Remusp. 289Chapter 43Aphrodite vs. Anvilp. 296Chapter 44Valkyriep. 304Chapter 45Escape and Resistancep. 308Chapter 46Lightning-Ap. 312Chapter 47Zootsuit Blackp. 324Chapter 48Catching Pretty Wellp. 332Chapter 49"I'll Be Seeing You"p. 335Chapter 50The Quisling Zoop. 339Chapter 51Healthy Rays, Healthy Teeth, Healthy Paranoiap. 345Chapter 52The Deadliest Hombrep. 351Chapter 53Nazi Up. 359Chapter 54Uncertainty, Principlesp. 366Part VI1945Chapter 55Operation Bigp. 377Chapter 56The Lonely Organistp. 386Chapter 57Triumph and Lossp. 391Chapter 58Goimanyp. 398Chapter 59The Bomb Dropsp. 404Epilogues: 1946 and Beyondp. 412A Thank-You and a Bonusp. 421Acknowledgmentsp. 423Major Charactersp. 425Minor Charactersp. 427Sourcesp. 429Indexp. 435 Librarian's View Displaying 1 of 1