Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World
Chris Wallace
(Author)
Mitch Weiss
(With)
Description
The #1 national bestselling "riveting" (The New York Times), "propulsive" (Time) behind-the-scenes account "that reads like a tense thriller" (The Washington Post) of the 116 days leading up to the American attack on Hiroshima, by Chris Wallace, veteran journalist and CNN anchor and Max host. April 12, 1945: After years of bloody conflict in Europe and the Pacific, America is stunned by news of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death. In an instant, Vice President Harry Truman, who has been kept out of war planning and knows nothing of the top-secret Manhattan Project to develop the world's first atomic bomb, must assume command of a nation at war on multiple continents--and confront one of the most consequential decisions in history. Countdown 1945 tells the gripping true story of the turbulent days, weeks, and months to follow, leading up to August 6, 1945, when Truman gives the order to drop the bomb on Hiroshima. In Countdown 1945, Chris Wallace, the veteran journalist and CNN anchor and Max host, takes readers inside the minds of the iconic and elusive figures who join the quest for the bomb, each for different reasons: the legendary Albert Einstein, who eventually calls his vocal support for the atomic bomb "the one great mistake in my life"; lead researcher J. Robert "Oppie" Oppenheimer and the Soviet spies who secretly infiltrate his team; the fiercely competitive pilots of the plane selected to drop the bomb; and many more. Perhaps most of all, Countdown 1945 is the story of an untested new president confronting a decision that he knows will change the world forever. But more than a book about the atomic bomb, Countdown 1945 is also an unforgettable account of the lives of ordinary American and Japanese civilians in wartime--from "Calutron Girls" like Ruth Sisson in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to ten-year-old Hiroshima resident Hideko Tamura, who survives the blast at ground zero but loses her mother and later immigrates to the United States, where she lives to this day--as well as American soldiers fighting in the Pacific, waiting in fear for the order to launch a possible invasion of Japan. Told with vigor, intelligence, and humanity, Countdown 1945 is the definitive account of one of the most significant moments in history.Product Details
Price
$30.00
$27.90
Publisher
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Publish Date
June 09, 2020
Pages
320
Dimensions
6.5 X 9.1 X 1.3 inches | 1.1 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781982143343
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Chris Wallace is an anchor for CNN and host of Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?, a wide-ranging interview program on Max. Prior to CNN, Wallace was the anchor of Fox News Sunday for eighteen years where he covered every major political event. Throughout his five decades in broadcasting, he has interviewed numerous U.S. and world leaders, including seven American presidents, and won every major broadcast news award for his reporting, including three Emmy Awards, the duPont-Columbia Silver Baton, and the Peabody Award. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Countdown Bin Laden: The Untold Story of the 247-Day Hunt to Bring the Mastermind of 9/11 to Justice and Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World. Mitch Weiss is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist for the Associated Press, covering subjects ranging from military misconduct, government corruption, and white-collar crimes to the housing meltdown and unsafe medical devices. He is also the critically acclaimed author or coauthor of nine books.
Reviews
"There is no finer journalist in America today than Chris Wallace and no more dramatic story in American history than Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb. Countdown 1945 moves at a breakneck pace and even though you know the ending, you can't put it down. This is the most exciting book I've read all year."
--Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired), #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed and Sea Stories "As a reporter and a news anchor, Chris has been at the center of the biggest news stories of the last four decades. He's given perspective and insight when we've needed it most. Now, his same attention to detail fills the pages of Countdown 1945, the story of arguably the most consequential event in the U.S. since the Civil War. It's a stunning piece of work."
--George Clooney "Countdown 1945 goes beyond our history lessons. It tells moving, personal stories of Americans who played pivotal roles in one of our most important moments as a nation. From scientists at the top of their field, to heroic members of our military, to everyday Americans, it's an incredible story of how our country came together with a determined spirit to end a war and save countless lives."
--Ambassador Nikki Haley, New York Times bestselling author of With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace "Countdown 1945 is a real-life thriller about one of the most important events of the twentieth century. Veteran journalist Chris Wallace takes readers behind the scenes and brings to life the compelling story of the 116 days leading up to Hiroshima. Written like a spy novel, this is a must-read history that will educate and keep you turning the pages. Not to be missed!"
--Daniel Silva, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Girl "Vivid, fast-paced, and wide-ranging, Countdown 1945 is a fine telling of one of the twentieth century's most remarkable tales--how the United States designed, built, delivered, and detonated the first two atomic bombs over Japan."
--Rick Atkinson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Army at Dawn and The British Are Coming
--Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired), #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed and Sea Stories "As a reporter and a news anchor, Chris has been at the center of the biggest news stories of the last four decades. He's given perspective and insight when we've needed it most. Now, his same attention to detail fills the pages of Countdown 1945, the story of arguably the most consequential event in the U.S. since the Civil War. It's a stunning piece of work."
--George Clooney "Countdown 1945 goes beyond our history lessons. It tells moving, personal stories of Americans who played pivotal roles in one of our most important moments as a nation. From scientists at the top of their field, to heroic members of our military, to everyday Americans, it's an incredible story of how our country came together with a determined spirit to end a war and save countless lives."
--Ambassador Nikki Haley, New York Times bestselling author of With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace "Countdown 1945 is a real-life thriller about one of the most important events of the twentieth century. Veteran journalist Chris Wallace takes readers behind the scenes and brings to life the compelling story of the 116 days leading up to Hiroshima. Written like a spy novel, this is a must-read history that will educate and keep you turning the pages. Not to be missed!"
--Daniel Silva, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Girl "Vivid, fast-paced, and wide-ranging, Countdown 1945 is a fine telling of one of the twentieth century's most remarkable tales--how the United States designed, built, delivered, and detonated the first two atomic bombs over Japan."
--Rick Atkinson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Army at Dawn and The British Are Coming
