The Bastard Brigade: The True Story of the Renegade Scientists and Spies Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb

From New York Times bestselling author Sam Keane, the gripping story of the insurgent scientists and spies determined to prevent Adolf Hitler from obtaining the ultimate prize of World War II—the nuclear bomb

Best science book of 2019, according to NPR Science Friday
Scientists have always had secrets. But secrets have never been more vital than during World War II. In the midst of work on the atomic bomb, the leaders of the Manhattan Project were alarmed to learn that Nazi Germany was ahead of the Allies in nuclear research, and that Hitler could change the course of the war with just a few kilograms of uranium. Therefore, a group of scientists of special purpose "Alsos" was assembled, which spied, sabotaged and even killed members of the terrible Uranium Club of Nazi Germany. Immersed in the dark world of international espionage, these scientists, soldiers and ordinary people played a vital role in preventing one of the darkest pages in human history.