Scan barcode
causticcovercritic's review against another edition
2.0
Very weird and unsatisfying alternative-history novel about the Manhattan Project in which Benford's Mary Sue hero, his real-life father-in-law Karl Cohen, gets to save the world, minimises geniuses like Oppenheimer, Szilard and Fermi, gets to tell off and outsmart Heisenberg and Groves, etc, and is fawned over by people like Rommel. Not without some merit (though the prose is functional at best), but still very odd. Like an incredibly ambitious present for his wife that somehow got published for a wide audience by mistake.
esjackson's review against another edition
5.0
I typically don't care much for alternative history, but this was an exception. It was cool to see the people behind the equations and theories I use a lot and how they played a major role in the outcome of the war. I can tell the author did a lot of research on what the characters were really like and how they would interact with each other.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting alternate history. But frankly I think it would have been better as a non-fiction book.
The concept was odd, basically that the author's father-in-law had successfully convinced the Manhattan Project to use the faster method of cooking up the materials, and how things would have played out. All the players were in the book plus some extras including a young Freeman Dyson and Arthur C. Clarke and even the author's dad.
It came across a little bit like wish-fulfillment. And some of it was written a little awkwardly. Definitely not the author's best work. But interesting and readable.
The concept was odd, basically that the author's father-in-law had successfully convinced the Manhattan Project to use the faster method of cooking up the materials, and how things would have played out. All the players were in the book plus some extras including a young Freeman Dyson and Arthur C. Clarke and even the author's dad.
It came across a little bit like wish-fulfillment. And some of it was written a little awkwardly. Definitely not the author's best work. But interesting and readable.
frispbabe's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
barryhaworth's review against another edition
4.0
I came across mention of this book online and decided to check it out. This is an alternate history of World War Two based on the notion: how might things have been different if the atomic bomb had been developed a year earlier, in 1945? The book draws heavily on the author's own knowledge of the time and the technology - Benford is a physicist and knew many of those who worked on the Manhattan project in later years.
I found this book to be a fascinating exploration of an alternative history, and enjoyed the the way some of the SF of the period is worked into the story along with the history.
I found this book to be a fascinating exploration of an alternative history, and enjoyed the the way some of the SF of the period is worked into the story along with the history.
chukg's review against another edition
5.0
Quite good, an alternate history that hews quite closely to real events, by an author who knew several of the participants in real life. (I was going to comment that it reads like a Turtledove novel, then I saw in the acknowledgements that Turtledove helped with it.) Lots of technical detail but also lots of personal/historical stuff, the main character (and I think the only viewpoint character) is Karl Cohen, who is the author's real-life father-in-law (but I still don't know which of the daughters the author married).
cjhubbs's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating alt-history of the Manhattan Project and WWII written by a nuclear scientist with first-hand knowledge of many of the characters in the book. The line between fact and fiction feels blurry for quite a while before things clearly move to the “alt”.
cisko's review against another edition
3.0
Alternate-history novel, where a fairly small initial investment in uranium enrichment technology in 1940 leads to a faster Manhattan Project and an atomic bomb available in 1944. Benford almost exclusively uses real persons as his characters, most notably his father-in-law, Karl Cohen, as the main character. The personal and technical detail in the novel is immense, and the world feels quite true-to-life. The story is perhaps a bit forced, though of course it’s impossible to accurately judge. There are a few odd editing inconsistencies and repetitions, and at times the novel feels like it could have used a bit of trimming. Ultimately a bit uneven, but an enjoyable read for those interested in the history of the Manhattan Project.
causticcovercritic's review against another edition
3.0
Very weird and unsatisfying alternative-history novel about the Manhattan Project in which Benford's Mary Sue hero, his real-life father-in-law Karl Cohen, gets to save the world, minimises geniuses like Oppenheimer, Szilard and Fermi, gets to tell off and outsmart Heisenberg and Groves, etc, and is fawned over by people like Rommel. Not without some merit (though the prose is functional at best), but still very odd. Like an incredibly ambitious present for his wife that somehow got published for a wide audience by mistake.
davecreek's review against another edition
4.0
Greg Benford's newest novel, THE BERLIN PROJECT, is something new for him -- an alternate history. He speculates on what might have happened if the U.S. had developed the A-bomb a year earlier during WWII.
Most of the characters depicted in the book really existed, and many of them Benford knew personally. There are also a couple great cameos by SF personalities of the period.
In all a "counterfactual" novel worthy of Harry Turtledove!
Most of the characters depicted in the book really existed, and many of them Benford knew personally. There are also a couple great cameos by SF personalities of the period.
In all a "counterfactual" novel worthy of Harry Turtledove!