ALSOS. The Search for the German Atom Bomb. With an examination of the failure of German Science.

GOUDSMIT, Samuel.

Published by Sigma Books. London, 1947

About this Item

First impression in dustwrapper. A significant publication which formalised the official post-war Allied narrative of German nuclear disinterest and incompetence. The ALSOS Mission was established in September 1943 to determine the extent of German progress towards the development of nuclear weapons, Goudsmit was the Mission's Chief Scientific Officer. Having seen the German project at Haigerloch the tone of the publication may be taken from this entry: Goudsmit wrote here that: "It was so obvious the whole German uranium set up was on a ludicrously small scale. Here was the central group of laboratories, and all it amounted to was a little cave, a wing of a small textile factory, a few rooms in an old brewery. To be sure, the laboratories were well equipped, but compared to what we were doing in the United States it was still small-time stuff. Sometimes we wondered if our government had not spent more money on our intelligence mission than the Germans had spent on their whole project." [p.106-108]. Very good condition, loss to the head and foot of the dustwrapper at the spine, otherwise no faults.

Seller Inventory # 3495

Bibliographic Details

• Title: ALSOS. The Search for the German Atom Bomb. With an examination of the failure of German Science.
• Publisher: Sigma Books. London
• Publication Date: 1947
• Edition: 1st Edition