The Devil Reached Toward the Sky

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER



THE 'MASTERPIECE' COMPLETE ORAL HISTORY OF THE ATOMIC BOMB - BY A PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST

'Magisterial...A stunning account that brings to the fore the nuclear saga's surreal combination of ingenuity, fate, and terror.' -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

'If you are an intelligent person, or at the very least think you are, you have to read The Devil Reached Toward the Sky...This period in history has never been more relevant and frightening than it is today.' -James Patterson

'Comprehensive and engrossing...Excellent oral history.' -Kirkus Reviews

From the New York Times bestselling author of When the Sea Came Alive and The Only Plane in the Sky, a sweeping and comprehensive oral history of the atomic bomb's creation and deployment, marking the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

April 12, 1945. Less than three months into his vice presidency, Harry Truman is catapulted into the Oval Office following the sudden death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. As he recites the oath, he learns a chilling secret known only to a select few: the United States is on the verge of deploying a weapon of unimaginable power. This weapon could end the war but also herald a new age of global fear and uncertainty.

Drawing from over twenty-five oral history archives across the US, Japan, and Europe, Graff has masterfully blended the memories and perspectives from key figures like Harry Truman and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the crews of the B-29 bombers, Enola Gay and Bock's Car, the rescuers who bravely faced the destruction, and the haunting stories of those at ground zero in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, including the experiences of the hibakusha - the 'bomb-affected people'.

Enriched by memoirs, diaries, letters, official documents, and news reports, this is an immersive and deeply human account of the Manhattan Project through the end of World War II and the dawning of the Cold War, offering a vivid, multi-dimensional view of events that reshaped the world forever.

*New York Times #7 on the Hardcover Non-Fiction Chart, week of August 25th, 2025.

Critics Review

If you are an intelligent person, or at the very least think you are, you have to read Garrett Graff's THE DEVIL REACHED TOWARD THE SKY. Even if you don't read this lengthy masterpiece, you should keep it in your library to demonstrate that you are curious and literate. If you Zoom frequently, it should be one of the books on the shelves directly behind you so that viewers can register how smart you are. If you need to know something about the story itself -- it's everything, and more, about the atom, the atom bomb, the Manhattan Project, and the terrifying destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This period in history has never been more relevant and frightening than it is today.
James Patterson, author of 'Along Came a Spider', '1st to Die', & 'Kiss the Girls'
Journalist Graff delivers a magisterial oral history of the atomic bomb . . . The result is a stunning account that brings to the fore the nuclear saga's surreal combination of ingenuity, fate, and terror.
Publishers Weekly, starred review
A comprehensive and engrossing account of the atomic bomb's creation-and its effects. . . . The 500 voices who make up the oral history include famous and less-known figures, such as members of the crew who created the first controlled nuclear chain reaction; farmers whose land was needed to build massive complexes to produce enriched uranium and plutonium for the bombs; 'project spouses' at all three locations raising families under difficult living conditions; politicians and military men involved in planning and executing the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and Japanese survivors of the bombings. . . . Excellent oral history.
Kirkus
The story of the Atomic Age's start is a fascinating one about the power of invention and a chilling one about its consequences. In The Devil Reached Toward the Sky, Graff skillfully tells both... a comprehensive account... focuses not just on the voices of scientists [but] explores overlooked pieces of the Manhattan Project's history, such as how segregation affected life at Oak Ridge.
Daily Mail

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