Richard Rhodes - The Making of the Atomic Bomb

Pros: thorough, gripping, and highly interesting
Cons: 788 pages isn't enough, I want more

Pros: A highly detailed and well-written account of the development of our most destructive technology.
Cons: May be a bit technical in spots for some readers.

Richard Rhodes's The Making of the Atomic Bomb chronicles a period unique in world history, an age when brilliant minds in the service of numerous countries collaborated to create the most destructive weaponry we've yet seen, but at the same time...

Pros: Fantastic in every respect.
Cons: None

This is a definitive work on the making of the atomic bomb. From the germ of the idea to its completion, it tracks not only the actual activities associated with making the bomb, but the policy decisions and science behind it.

It is quite a long book, but you never want it to end. It is gripping, wonderful and informative. I cannot recommend it enough.