LGM Podcast: The Most Awful Responsibility

2026-01-06

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Alex Wellerstein’s The Most Awful Responsibility: Truman and the Secret Struggle for Control of the Atomic Age challenges standard preconceptions of President Harry Truman’s role in using nuclear weapons. It goes on to trace Truman’s role in developing policy around nuclear weapons, including civilian control and sole authority. It’s an important book. Truman was faced with an utterly new situation that he knew little about. It’s easy for us to forget that there was a time when nuclear weapons didn’t exist. Alex gives a picture of when that changed. Th...

It’s an important book. Truman was faced with an utterly new situation that he knew little about. It’s easy for us to forget that there was a time when nuclear weapons didn’t exist. Alex gives a picture of when that changed. There are lessons for today.

Rob Farley and I interviewed Alex last week. Alex talks about how he came to the subject and Roosevelt’s irresponsibility. Check it out.

Rob apologizes for his substandard audio.

Transcript is here.