“An impassioned account of everything from the discovery of radioactivity to plans for a Doomsday Device (yes, there really were such plans) from an author who feels that to the generations growing up who see the Cold War only as something in history books, the true horror of nuclear weapons has been forgotten... Doomsday Men is ... important, and, depressingly, there is a need for it – people, [especially younger people than me,] ought to read it” —John Gribbin, The Literary Review

“Superb… The research is impressive, but it's his eye for revealing anecdotes and his ability to distil it all into lively prose that makes this a real pleasure to read.” —Sunday Business Post

“Doomsday Men doesn't just deal with thermonuclear destruction. It's a meticulous account of weapons of mass destruction and the science and scientists behind them. Indeed, it is two books for the price of one, because it is also a cultural disquisition. Smith scours fiction for visions of death rays and lurid imaginings of Armageddon to show how writers often preceded or influenced scientists. … always readable and entertaining … Smith deserves some sort of award for value for money” —Tibor Fischer, Daily Telegraph

“...he puts the nuclear age into a new context, engagingly and even excitingly.” —Financial Times

“Smith entertainingly takes on Dr. Doom and his colleagues, setting them in popular culture as scientific messiahs and madmen.” —Times (London)

“A chillingly compelling history of chemical, biological and atomic superweapons...Doomsday Men analyzes dozens of examples of how culture influenced science in the devising of superweapons...it successfully shows how and why superweapons have been simultaneously admired and reviled by both scientists and the public.” —Physics World

“Told largely from the viewpoint of the scientists devoted to turning the military's demands into reality, PD Smith's account is packed with striking anecdotes… this is a readable, informative work exploring why intelligent men worked on such insane projects.” —Metro

“Smith's study is the gripping, untold story of the ultimate weapon of mass destruction, which first came to public attention in 1950 when the Hungarian-born scientist Leo Szilard made a dramatic announcement on radio: science was on the verge of creating a Doomsday Bomb. For the first time in history, mankind would soon have the ability to destroy all life on the planet. The shockwave from this statement reverberated across the following decade and beyond.” —Times Literary Supplement

“… Doomsday Men is well worth reading. It is a powerful reminder that weapons of mass destruction are still ‘out there' and new ones are being developed every day. But it is not solely about scientific knowledge; it ranges much wider than science fiction. It tells the story of disaster. One question is left hanging: will we allow our governments to repeat the mistakes of the last century?” —Independent