Countdown 1945

The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World

By: Chris Wallace, Mitch Weiss

Narrated by: Chris Wallace

Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

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 listeners 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.

©2020 Chris Wallace. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Phenomenal work, Mr. Wallace!

Top shelf research and writing. Chris Wallace's narration - voice and pace - is excellent. I have more than 460 titles accumulated in 18 years of Audible membership. This is a top 5 production!

Absolutely amazing!

I listened to this book while I was working and it was amazing. I was worried with having to work and trying to listen to the story I would get lost and it never happened, easy to follow and kept my attention all day.

Well researched

Wallace has produced a work of nonfiction that gives the reader a remarkably detailed account of the history of the development and use of the atomic bomb and of the people involved.

Chris Wallace at his best.

Really enjoyed it but dismayed by the history of so many "monday morning quarterbacking" on the morality of dropping the bomb. Chris covered it and in a balanced way but he idiocy of some preferring the deaths of nearly a million US soldiers to the destruction of two cities of an enemy who bombed Pearl Harbor, performed the rape of Nanking, conducted the Death March of Baatan, and enslaved women in conquered countries to be comfort women. The Japanese warlords had no honor and their country got what it richly deserved.

Congratulations Chris on an excellent book!

Growing up post World War II near Oak Ridge, this story really hits home capturing this time of my grandparents and the greatest generation and a president desperate to make the right decision and bring a war to an end.

Spellbinding and well done!

Well researched and engaging book

One of the best books I have read in a long time. Of course the topic is controversial but the authors do justice to both view points in a fair and balanced way.

History Well Told

Having been Vice President for less than three months, Harry Truman became President when FDR died on April 12, 1945. The U.S. had defeated Germany but was still at war with Japan. The fighting escalated and the casualties mounted. By early August, Truman had to decide whether to drop the first atomic bomb, a weapon many times more powerful than anything known before. This is the story of the Manhattan Project that developed the A-bomb, the factors that led to Truman’s decision and the men who carried out the mission. This is history told from the point of view of the individual men and women – scientists, soldiers, civilians and government officials – involved. It is a fascinating story, engagingly told and professionally narrated. Anyone with an interest in WWII or history generally should enjoy this book.

Fascinating! History Comes Alive!

If you enjoy history you definitely don't want to miss Countdown 1945! Chris Wallace makes history come alive with excellent prose and expert story-telling skill! How do you make a great book even better? Make it available on Audible! As usual, the Audible version of Countdown 1945 does not disappoint. It's always a special treat to have the book's author read the book to you. Again author Chris Wallace, with his well-trained, TV personality delivery, does a splendid job of accurately developing the complex characters of people like President Truman, chief atomic scientist Oppenheimer, General Groves, Colonel Tibbets, and a host of others. This is an Audible book you want in your collection!

Great book.

Great depiction of the difficulties personal and technical and developing they world's most powerful weapon.

Exceptional

This is an exceptional account of the history of the major players involved with the development and use of the atomic bomb. Wallace’s narration is superb and the insights and backstories are extremely interesting.