Hitler's Scientists: Science, War and the Devil's Pact

Written by John Cornwell

Narrated by Simon Prebble

By the first decade of the twentieth century, Germany was the Mecca of science and technology in the world. However, by the beginning of the First World War, Germany began to display some of the features that would blight the conduct of ideal science through the rest of the century.

After Hitler came into power in 1933, science and technology were quickly pressed into service by racist, xenophobic idealologies. From 1939 to the war's end, scientists working under military control began research on nuclear chain reaction with the prospect of arming Hitler with an atomic bomb. By 1943, few areas of German science, technology, and industry had not been experimentation and mass killing.

How German scientists behaved in the era spanning the beginning of the First War and the end of the Second raises many questions, disturbing and relevant to this day, about how scientist act under pressure of social and political circumstances and events. In pondering the moral and political predicament of the unregulated pursuit of scientific progress, Hitler's Scientist today prompts uncomfortable parallels with the past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Listen & Live Audio
• Release date: Feb 6, 2025
• ISBN: 9781593162979

John Cornwell

John Cornwell is an award winning journalist and author. Hitler’s Pope was an international best-seller, and he won the non-fiction Gold Dagger Award for Earth to Earth, the story of a West Country family tragedy. His recent history, Hitler’s Scientists: Science, War and the Devil‘s Pact, won the Science and Medical Network book of the year prize for 2005.

Reviews for Hitler's Scientists

[Matson Ruddell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was ok, I found it to be disjointed and hard to follow. The name of the book leads you to think this would be more about Hitler, his belief in the occult and the atrocities he committed. It touched on these things but I was dissatisfied.

[Sandra Mian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every person working in science and technology, be it in public inside or universities or in R&D teams of private corporations should read this book. Actually, I myself being an engineer and consulting for the industry, I strongly advise that all curricula should have a course on ETHICS.
It is the first thing I discuss with my students at the undergraduate level or at the MBA.

[Joe Oaster · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best line in book. People first scientists second. Every researcher should read this book

[Barry Daniels · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An worthwhile examination of the philosophy and ethics of scientists in Nazi Germany and the relevant lessons for today.

[renzomalo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great read, compelling at times but becomes a little stale in the last eight of the book where his opinions encourage speed reading.

[wwj_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent, but should have stopped at section seven of perhaps six. The last sections are written as if the author is trying to fill pages, not with the same interest as the first part of the book.

[bdtrump · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This work bounces around and repeats itself continuously. Cornwell conducts solid research, yet spins everything in a way that seems juvenile and unnecessary.

[jimocracy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was much drier than I had expected.

[hadriantheblind · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pleasantly surprised with this one. Title seemed indicative of an exploitative 'oh-the-horror' book, but this was a well-researched analysis of the ethical dilemmas which faced the brilliant German scientists of the era. Covers several technical areas, and eras ranging from WWI (Fritz Haber is an especially interesting case) to the Cold War. Hitler's astonishing ignorance of technical affairs played a role in Germany's misapplied research programs in WW2.

A necessary and interesting book.