Book Discussion: "Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World" by Chris Wallace and Mitch Weiss

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Class & Event Types:

Books & More, Evenings & Weekends
Registration for this event will be open from August 20, 2024 @ 6:00pm to September 17, 2024 @ 6:00pm.

Program Description

Event Details

Please pick up a copy of the book at the hosting branch.

Copies are available starting one month prior to the discussion, while supplies last.

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.

If you prefer, this title is available electronically:

Find the ebook on Libby.

Disclaimer(s)

Accommodations

If you need accommodations for this class, please contact the Library as soon as you are able.

Sponsored by Friends

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.