“Wilhelm’s Way is a delightful and important addition to the annals of the Manhattan Project. The engaging book relates the improbable story of Dr. Harley Wilhelm and his young team of scientists . . . who produced pure uranium metal for the Manhattan Project.” —Cynthia Kelly, president of the Atomic Heritage Foundation and author of The Manhattan Project: The Birth of the Atomic Bomb in the Words of Its Creators, Eyewitnesses, and Historians ***** “An amazing story of ingenuity, determination, and moxie. . . A fascinating story of Iowa State University’s little known but essential contribution to the end of World War II, which I highly recommend!” —Wendy Wintersteen, president of Iowa State University ***** "A Page Turner from a Master Storyteller! Teresa weaves a complex tapestry, sharing the tale of making the uranium for the bomb that would end WWII. As a young man, you will find Wilhelm the most unlikely character to play the role of uranium-maker, but his humble ways and simple beginnings give way to quite an interesting and multifaceted character. Wilhelm and his team jump through hoops to secretly create a process to produce purified uranium. This is a fascinating story of innovation and subterfuge set in the heart of the industrial era when people were literally fighting for their lives. " – Karen Cornwell, Author of You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See: An Eye-Opening Toolkit to Cultivate Gender Harmony in Business. Introduction to Wilhelm's Way: The Inspiring Story of the Iowa Chemist Who Saved the Manhattan Project ***** "A striking achievement among the many associated with the wartime atomic energy project in the United States was the production of many tons of pure uranium by a group consisting of faculty and students working in a misused building on the campus of the Iowa State College at Ames." —Samuel Glasstone, Sourcebook on Atomic Energy ***** Oak Ridge, Hanford, Los Alamos. These are the places that history books and our common awareness associate with the Manhattan Project. Movies, books, and other media recount the historic discoveries and events that took place at these locations. Implicit in these versions is that these three sites were the only or at least the most important ones involved in the development of the atomic bomb. * Historians have narrowed the focus in order to simplify the story of what is considered the most complex and largest-ever collaborative endeavor involving government, academia, and industry. In doing so they have left out important, even critical details. More than thirty sites across the United States were part of the project. Most have never been widely acknowledged for their efforts. * While the Manhattan Project physicists had a theory that a controlled self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction could be achieved, the reality was that without the work of chemists it would have been impossible to prove. Working with uranium is not for the faint of heart. The element is dangerous and often explosive. It was the ingenuity of a chemistry professor at Iowa State College that played a critical but little-known role in the success of the Manhattan Project. * Dr. Harley Wilhelm led a small, ragtag team that produced the pure uranium needed for the world’s first controlled self-sustained nuclear chain reaction. Furthermore, his mass production process made available the quantities of uranium needed to transmute uranium to plutonium. Wilhelm’s Way reveals the untold story of the man whose humble nature, brilliant mind, and remarkable leadership made it possible for the atomic bomb to be built and deployed. * Scientific minds had worked on the problem of purity for over one and a half centuries. In the unlikely event that a solution was found, someone would still need to develop methods for its mass production. There was no certainty that either could be achieved. Scientists at Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Westinghouse, Metal Hydrides, the US Bureau of Standards, and elsewhere all failed. All worked under the same pressures, time constraints, and shortages of resources as Wilhelm. Why was Wilhelm the person able to achieve the needed outcomes? Wilhelm’s Way introduces the man and his mettle along with the pivotal life events that led him to be where the nation and the world needed him to be at just the right moment. Teresa Wilhelm Waldof About the Author: Independent scholar Teresa Wilhelm Waldof is the world’s leading expert on the Ames Project section of the Manhattan Project. She speaks on Dr. Wilhelm’s life and scientific contributions, the Ames Project, and the founding of Ames Laboratory. She holds a BA in speech communications and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Rochester, Minnesota, with her family.
✔ Author(s): Teresa Wilhelm Waldof
✔ Title: Wilhelm's Way: The Inspiring Story of the Iowa Chemist Who Saved the Manhattan Project
✔ Rating : 4.8 out of 5 base on (58 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: B09PKYQ6F7
✔ ISBN-13: 978B09PKYQ6F9
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Wilhelm's Way by Teresa Wilhelm Waldof
Jillian Neel
I'm still in awe of the intricate plot and the way everything seamlessly came together. The twists kept me guessing until the very end. It's one of those rare books that leave a lasting impact.
Josephine Alvarez
The world-building in this book was simply phenomenal. I was transported to a different realm and felt like I was part of the characters' journey. The attention to detail made it all so immersive.
Sydney Richardson
The way the author handled complex emotions and relationships was remarkable. I felt deeply connected to the characters, and their growth throughout the story was both inspiring and moving.
