Samuel Goudsmit led the team of American intelligence agents sent into the chaos of Germany towards the end of the Second World War to discover how near the Third Reich was to making a successful nuclear bomb. It seemed at the time that there was even a risk that it might be used. ALSOS (American Institute of Physics, £20.50/$29.95, ISBN 1 56396 415 5) is Goudsmit’s dramatic story of the mission. It is still feverish and exciting. Muddy photographs.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
2
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
3
The weirdness of neutrinos could completely rewrite particle physics
4
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
5
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
6
What is 'SpudCell'? Arguably the greatest bioengineering feat yet
7
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
8
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
9
We’re not the most successful human species
10
Slowdown of AMOC ocean current may be gradual and reversible
