The Bomb

How the nuclear bomb shaped world history. The scientists who raced to build weapons, the spies who stole the technology and the superpowers who grappled with deployment.

World Service,32 episodes

Episodes

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Kennedy and Khrushchev
Trailer
Nuclear war is terrifyingly close. Can the superpowers stop a global catastrophe?
06 Nov 2025,4 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
1. Opening moves
As the USA and Soviet Union race for supremacy, Premier Khrushchev sizes up JFK
01 Dec 2025,37 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
2. King of bombs
Vienna talks break down, the Berlin wall rises and a huge bomb is tested over the Arctic
01 Dec 2025,38 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
3. Gamble
The Soviets secretly plan to move an arsenal of nuclear weapons to Cuba
08 Dec 2025,36 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
4. Almost caught
Soviet ships carry nuclear missiles to Cuba. But the US can’t prove it
15 Dec 2025,35 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
5. The crisis: Day one
Spy plane pictures reveal the missile build up to the Americans. How will they respond?
22 Dec 2025,37 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
6. Kennedy’s move
Pressure builds on President Kennedy to order a military strike on Cuba
29 Dec 2025,37 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
7. Eyeball to eyeball
President Kennedy addresses the nation and imposes a blockade on ships bound for Cuba
05 Jan 2026,37 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
8. The logic of war
Troops in Cuba fear an attack is imminent – Castro urges Khrushchev to strike first
12 Jan 2026,37 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
9. Black Saturday
Soviet anti-aircraft fire brings down a spy plane over Cuba – the crisis spirals
19 Jan 2026,40 mins
Kennedy and Khrushchev
10. Fallout
Can war be averted? The Cuban Missile Crisis reaches its climax
26 Jan 2026,42 mins
Klaus Fuchs
Introducing The Bomb season 2
The spy who changed history. Season 2 begins on 9 July 2022
12 Jun 2022,4 mins
Klaus Fuchs
Bonus: Introducing Rosa Ellis
"She was not just a spy - she was a spymaster". The family secret of Rosa Ellis
19 Jun 2022,4 mins
Klaus Fuchs
Bonus: The sound design
What does the inside of an atom sound like? Meet our sound designer for Season 2
26 Jun 2022,3 mins
Klaus Fuchs
1. A grave matter
The man who stole the atomic bomb. And why he did it
08 Jul 2022,20 mins
Klaus Fuchs
2. A split life
The world’s most dangerous spy? A young scientist’s journey into espionage
15 Jul 2022,40 mins
Klaus Fuchs
3. Unstable elements
The fate of the world is decided: Klaus Fuchs joins a top-secret atomic bomb mission
22 Jul 2022,31 mins
Klaus Fuchs
4. A stable bond
The spy meets his spymaster
29 Jul 2022,37 mins
Klaus Fuchs
5. An irreversible reaction
A double life gets more dangerous. Fuchs joins America's bomb project
05 Aug 2022,28 mins
Klaus Fuchs
6. Camp Y
Lives on the line. The Fuchs family is drawn into the espionage
12 Aug 2022,38 mins
Klaus Fuchs
7. Critical mass
The interrogation of a spymaster. Ursula is questioned as Klaus Fuchs returns to England
19 Aug 2022,29 mins
Klaus Fuchs
8. The uncertainty principle
The spy catchers close in. Klaus Fuchs is caught in the crosshairs
26 Aug 2022,30 mins
Klaus Fuchs
9. Dead cat, live cat
A double life implodes. Fuchs faces judge and jury
02 Sep 2022,30 mins
Klaus Fuchs
10. Fallout
Jail awaits - Klaus Fuchs is going down. But will he take Ursula with him?
09 Sep 2022,33 mins
Leo Szilard
The prologue
“My grandfather in front of a mushroom cloud”. Could the Bomb have been stopped? #thebomb
23 Jul 2020,2 mins
Leo Szilard
1. Moonshine
A little-known scientist discovers something that will change the course of human history
31 Jul 2020,27 mins
Leo Szilard
2. Race to the bomb
It’s a race against time to beat the Nazis to the nuclear bomb
07 Aug 2020,18 mins
Leo Szilard
3. The Einstein letter
A vital message must be delivered to the president of the United States
14 Aug 2020,21 mins
Leo Szilard
4. Pearl Harbour
An attack on Pearl Harbour changes everything
21 Aug 2020,31 mins
Leo Szilard
5. Enemy alien
The FBI pursues Leo Szilard as he loses control of the project
28 Aug 2020,24 mins