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Quick answer: The best books on the Manhattan Project tell the story of the scientists, soldiers and workers who built the first atomic bombs. Start with The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes, American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan, 109 East Palace by Jennet Conant and Bomb by Steve Sheinkin.
In 1939 scientists warned President Roosevelt that Nazi Germany might build an atomic bomb. By 1942 the United States had launched the Manhattan Project, a secret program that eventually employed around 130,000 people at sites including Los Alamos in New Mexico, Oak Ridge in Tennessee and Hanford in Washington. Led by General Leslie Groves and physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, it produced the first nuclear explosion, the Trinity test, in July 1945, and the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki weeks later. Soviet spies had penetrated the project. The books below cover the science, the people, the spies, the women of the secret cities and the moral questions that followed.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Making of the Atomic Bomb | Richard Rhodes | History | The definitive history |
| American Prometheus | Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin | Biography | Oppenheimer’s life |
| The Girls of Atomic City | Denise Kiernan | Narrative history | Women of Oak Ridge |
| 109 East Palace | Jennet Conant | Narrative history | Life at Los Alamos |
| Now It Can Be Told | Leslie R. Groves | Memoir | The general’s view |
| The General and the Genius | James Kunetka | History | Groves and Oppenheimer |
| Brotherhood of the Bomb | Gregg Herken | History | Scientists and politics |
| Bombshell | Joseph Albright and Marcia Kunstel | History | Atomic spies |
| Heisenberg’s War | Thomas Powers | History | The German bomb |
| Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! | Richard P. Feynman | Memoir | Fun stories |
| The Los Alamos Primer | Robert Serber | Primary source | Science lovers |
| Atomic Women | Roseanne Montillo | History | Women scientists |
| Trinity | Jonathan Fetter-Vorm | Graphic history | Visual learners |
| The Wives of Los Alamos | TaraShea Nesbit | Novel | Book clubs |
| Bomb | Steve Sheinkin | Nonfiction for teens | Ages 10 and up |
1. The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
Rhodes’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book tells the story from the discovery of nuclear fission to Hiroshima. It’s huge, brilliant and readable, the essential book.
2. American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer inspired Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer. It’s rich, tragic and fascinating.
3. The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
Kiernan tells the story of women who worked at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, without knowing what they were helping to build. It’s engaging and surprising.
4. 109 East Palace by Jennet Conant
Conant tells the story of Los Alamos through Dorothy McKibbin, who welcomed scientists to the secret lab in Santa Fe. It’s a lively, human account.
5. Now It Can Be Told by Leslie R. Groves
The general who ran the Manhattan Project published his account in 1962. It’s a fascinating, if self-serving, insider story.
6. The General and the Genius by James Kunetka
Kunetka tells the story of the unlikely partnership between Groves and Oppenheimer that made the bomb possible.
7. Brotherhood of the Bomb by Gregg Herken
Herken follows Oppenheimer, Ernest Lawrence and Edward Teller from the bomb to the Cold War arms race. It’s revealing and well researched.
8. Bombshell by Joseph Albright and Marcia Kunstel
This book tells the story of Theodore Hall, a young physicist at Los Alamos who passed secrets to the Soviet Union. It’s a gripping spy story.
9. Heisenberg’s War by Thomas Powers
Powers investigates why Nazi Germany never built a bomb and what role physicist Werner Heisenberg played. It’s a controversial and fascinating book.
10. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman
The physicist’s famous memoir includes funny stories about safecracking and pranks at Los Alamos. It’s a delight to read.
11. The Los Alamos Primer by Robert Serber
Serber’s 1943 lectures introduced new scientists to bomb physics. This annotated edition shows how the project began.
12. Atomic Women by Roseanne Montillo
Montillo tells the stories of women physicists and chemists who worked on the bomb, including Leona Woods and Lise Meitner. It’s eye-opening.
13. Trinity by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm
This graphic novel explains the science, history and ethics of the first atomic bomb clearly and powerfully.
14. The Wives of Los Alamos by TaraShea Nesbit
Told in the collective voice of the scientists’ wives, this novel shows life in the secret city. It’s unusual and moving.
15. Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
Sheinkin tells the story of the bomb, the spies and the race against Germany for young readers. It was a National Book Award finalist and won the Sibert Medal.
Tips for Reading About the Manhattan Project
- Start with Rhodes or Sheinkin. One is the definitive adult history, the other a gripping teen book.
- Read about Oppenheimer. American Prometheus explains the man and his fall.
- Don’t forget the workers. The Girls of Atomic City shows the people who didn’t know the secret.
- Learn about the spies. Soviet espionage shaped the Cold War.
- Think about the ethics. Many scientists later struggled with what they’d built.
- Watch the film. Oppenheimer pairs well with American Prometheus.
Related: best books on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and best books on World War II.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book about the Manhattan Project?
The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes is the definitive history and won the Pulitzer Prize.
What book is the movie Oppenheimer based on?
Oppenheimer is based on American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
What is a good Manhattan Project book for teens?
Bomb by Steve Sheinkin is a gripping, award-winning book for ages 10 and up.