The ancient Romans used uranium as a natural oxide to bring out the luster of yellow ceramic glazes. By the late 19th century, chemists had learned that this silvery-white metallic chemical possessed unique properties, but the knowledge of its full, world-shattering potential would remain hidden until the decade before World War II. Amir Aczel's anecdote-rich Uranium Wars reveals how this obscure element facilitated the dawn of a new era. By focusing his narrative on the international scientific race to obtain nuclear capabilities, the author of Fermat's Last Theorem manages to infuse a sense of immediacy into what first seemed like a familiar story. A compelling read for serious readers of history, military history, and scientific history.