What do you think?
Rate this book
12 Seconds Of Silence: How a Team of Inventors, Tinkerers, and Spies Took Down a Nazi Superweapon
The riveting story of the American scientists, tinkerers, and nerds who solved one of the biggest puzzles of World War II—and developed one of the most powerful weapons of the war 12 Seconds of Silence is the remarkable, lost story of how a ragtag group of American scientists overcame one of the toughest problems of World War shooting things out of the sky. Working in a secretive organization known as Section T, a team of physicists, engineers, and everyday Joes and Janes took on a devilish challenge. To help the Allies knock airplanes out of the air, they created one of the world’s first “smart weapons.” Against overwhelming odds and in a race against time, mustering every scrap of resource, ingenuity, and insight, the scientists of Section T would eventually save countless lives, rescue the city of London from the onslaught of a Nazi superweapon, and help bring about the Axis defeat. A holy grail sought after by Allied and Axis powers alike, their unlikely innovation ranks with the atomic bomb as one of the most revolutionary technologies of the Second World War. Until now, their tale was largely untold. For fans of Erik Larson and Ben Macintyre, set amidst the fog of espionage, dueling spies, and the dawn of an age when science would determine the fate of the world, 12 Seconds of Silence is a tribute to the extraordinary wartime mobilization of American science and the ultimate can-do story.
437 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2020
141 people are currently reading
2726 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Holmes
7 books35 followersJamie Holmes is a writer and the author of the books The Free and the Dead, Nonsense, and 12 Seconds of Silence. His work has appeared in print or online in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Slate, WIRED, The Atlantic, and USA TODAY, among other publications. He holds an MIA from Columbia University’s School of International Affairs. Previously, he worked at New America as a policy analyst in international development and served as a Future Tense Fellow. Prior to that he was a research coordinator at Harvard’s Department of Economics, where he focused on behavioral economics.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 7, 2020
I cannot tell you how many times I've watched old World War II movies---particularly those depicting naval battles wherein they show an anti-aircraft gun firing at oncoming airplanes. Then they shift the perspective to the air plane where the show how close the bullets are coming by having them explode.
Cool little special effect to intensify the scene.
Only it was not just a special effect!
For years it had been known that if you could get a projectile to explode as it approached the enemy--like a shotgun---that the damage of the projectile would be magnified. To this end, munitions were equiped with different fuses. After a certain number of second, the projectile would explode unleashing a deadly cascade of fragments upon the enemy---or in the case of anti-aircraft guns upon the enemy aircraft.
The problem with these munitions is that they only really worked at a limited range. If the munitions exploded too early, the fragments would fall short. If they exploded too late, they'd miss their target entirely.
As a result, they were not used too much.
Except for a small group of scientist who studied the problem. Working in secret, a group of scientist figured out how to equip explosive projectiles with a proximity sensor. But simply developing a proximity sensor was not enough. It had to be capable of being mass produced, small enough to fit into existing projectiles, and stable enough not to go off by accident.
This book is a story about that team and those projectiles---how they were used in Europe and in the Pacific. How they were used for purposes not intended by the developers. How their story has been forgotten.
In a lot of books about a niche topic like this, the author sometimes seems to overstate his (or her) argument. Holmes did a great job at presenting the case that these weapons saved the lives of allied civilians/soldiers and undoubtedly shortened WWII---without overstating the case.
How initially, they were only to be used over open water because they feared Axis scientist getting ahold of a dud and reverse engineering it.
This is one of those histories that you never knew to ask, but once you learn about it, you think "Wow, that was a cool story."
Cool little special effect to intensify the scene.
Only it was not just a special effect!
For years it had been known that if you could get a projectile to explode as it approached the enemy--like a shotgun---that the damage of the projectile would be magnified. To this end, munitions were equiped with different fuses. After a certain number of second, the projectile would explode unleashing a deadly cascade of fragments upon the enemy---or in the case of anti-aircraft guns upon the enemy aircraft.
The problem with these munitions is that they only really worked at a limited range. If the munitions exploded too early, the fragments would fall short. If they exploded too late, they'd miss their target entirely.
As a result, they were not used too much.
Except for a small group of scientist who studied the problem. Working in secret, a group of scientist figured out how to equip explosive projectiles with a proximity sensor. But simply developing a proximity sensor was not enough. It had to be capable of being mass produced, small enough to fit into existing projectiles, and stable enough not to go off by accident.
This book is a story about that team and those projectiles---how they were used in Europe and in the Pacific. How they were used for purposes not intended by the developers. How their story has been forgotten.
In a lot of books about a niche topic like this, the author sometimes seems to overstate his (or her) argument. Holmes did a great job at presenting the case that these weapons saved the lives of allied civilians/soldiers and undoubtedly shortened WWII---without overstating the case.
How initially, they were only to be used over open water because they feared Axis scientist getting ahold of a dud and reverse engineering it.
This is one of those histories that you never knew to ask, but once you learn about it, you think "Wow, that was a cool story."
July 20, 2020
Hey, readers of WW2 history, remember how as Nazi Germany militarized and then started the war in 1939, isolationists in the US were adamant that the country stay out of the conflict despite Churchill’s importuning and FDR’s desire to get involved? Luckily, FDR was able to start some advanced military weapons projects by executive order, and one of them involved the development of a “proximity fuse.”
A proximity fuse would allow anti-aircraft missiles to explode when its technology sensed it was very close to enemy aircraft, vastly increasing the percentage of missile attacks’ effectiveness from the then-current likelihood that it could take thousands of shells to take out one aircraft. But would the proximity be detected by light, sound, radar or something else? And how to test each possibility, when current scientific instruments were big and delicate?
The development of the proximity fuse was under the direction of Merle Tuve, the grandson of Norwegian immigrants, who grew up in a nowhere town in South Dakota obsessed with tinkering with radio and explosive devices, along with his best friend, Ernest (“Eddie”) Lawrence (who won the Nobel Prize for his cyclotron).
While Tuve and his team worked tirelessly, spies on both sides tried to gain intelligence about each others’ work. The infamous Duquesne spy ring, broken up in 1941, had as part of its mandate to find out for the Nazis whatever they could about US work in air war technology. Agents for Britain and later, the Allies, also spied on the Nazis to learn about their weaponry research and developments.
This book closely tracks the work of Tuve and his team, interspersed with the story of the spy wars. Holmes shows what a difference the proximity fuse made to combat Germany’s rocket war against Britain, eventually able to stop 90% of the dreaded V-1 rockets. Against Tuve’s wishes, the proximity fuse was adapted to become an offensive weapon. This allowed it to design shells that would detonate at the optimum height to cause maximum carnage, which made a huge difference to the war in Europe in 1945. There was even a smart fuse in “Little Boy,” the A-bomb dropped over Hiroshima.
The writing can be hard going at times when Holmes shows the depth and detail of his technological research. But at other times, as when Holmes focuses on the personalities, the spy games and the battles in the sky, this is a fascinating and thrilling study of a lesser-known aspect of the Allied war effort and the sheer ingenuity and persistence of people who fight battles from laboratories and testing fields.
A proximity fuse would allow anti-aircraft missiles to explode when its technology sensed it was very close to enemy aircraft, vastly increasing the percentage of missile attacks’ effectiveness from the then-current likelihood that it could take thousands of shells to take out one aircraft. But would the proximity be detected by light, sound, radar or something else? And how to test each possibility, when current scientific instruments were big and delicate?
The development of the proximity fuse was under the direction of Merle Tuve, the grandson of Norwegian immigrants, who grew up in a nowhere town in South Dakota obsessed with tinkering with radio and explosive devices, along with his best friend, Ernest (“Eddie”) Lawrence (who won the Nobel Prize for his cyclotron).
While Tuve and his team worked tirelessly, spies on both sides tried to gain intelligence about each others’ work. The infamous Duquesne spy ring, broken up in 1941, had as part of its mandate to find out for the Nazis whatever they could about US work in air war technology. Agents for Britain and later, the Allies, also spied on the Nazis to learn about their weaponry research and developments.
This book closely tracks the work of Tuve and his team, interspersed with the story of the spy wars. Holmes shows what a difference the proximity fuse made to combat Germany’s rocket war against Britain, eventually able to stop 90% of the dreaded V-1 rockets. Against Tuve’s wishes, the proximity fuse was adapted to become an offensive weapon. This allowed it to design shells that would detonate at the optimum height to cause maximum carnage, which made a huge difference to the war in Europe in 1945. There was even a smart fuse in “Little Boy,” the A-bomb dropped over Hiroshima.
The writing can be hard going at times when Holmes shows the depth and detail of his technological research. But at other times, as when Holmes focuses on the personalities, the spy games and the battles in the sky, this is a fascinating and thrilling study of a lesser-known aspect of the Allied war effort and the sheer ingenuity and persistence of people who fight battles from laboratories and testing fields.
December 9, 2020
You can’t help knowing that the atomic bomb was a product of World War II and greatly influenced its outcome. If you’ve read a little, you’re aware that radar played a decisive role in the war as well, implemented both in the air, at sea, and on land. But it’s less likely you’ve heard about a third technological breakthrough that many military analysts and historians believe was equally important. It’s called the proximity fuse. “Known as the world’s first ‘smart’ weapon, the proximity fuse (or fuze) was a five-pound marvel of engineering, industry, and can-do spirit.” And its development and deployment is the subject of Jamie Holmes‘ impressive if idiosyncratic book, 12 Seconds of Silence.
This WWII technology breakthrough saved thousands of lives
Holmes’ book brings to the fore the role of the proximity fuse in defeating the first of the Nazi superweapons to surface: the V-1 “buzz bomb.” But the device had far broader applications and played a pivotal role in turning back the German advance in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19-20, 1944) and the Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945) as well. Here’s why the fuse was needed and how it worked:
** “In the early weeks of the Blitz, the ratio of fired [artillery] shells to downed aircraft—a metric described in RPB, or rounds per bird—was twenty thousand to one.” In other words, antiaircraft guns brought down Nazi planes only by the sheerest luck.
** The challenge, then, was to design and produce a gadget that would detonate an artillery shell only within striking distance of an attacking aircraft—not by hitting it directly but by exploding just closely enough for shrapnel to tear the plane apart. American and British scientists and engineers approached this challenge by testing a wide range of options. And the Americans found the one technological fix that proved to work.
** A micro-transmitter in the proximity fuse within the shell uses the shell’s body as an antenna and emits a continuous radio wave. As the shell approaches a reflecting object, the wave bouncing back triggers the detonation when it signals having reached an optimal distance from the target.
Bureaucratic hurdles and brickbats blocked this WWII technology breakthrough
The proximity fuse resulted from the work of a team of American scientists and engineers known as “Section T” led by physicist Merle Tuve. Holmes vividly relates the bureaucratic hurdles and brickbats that Tuve and his lieutenants suffered throughout the development of the fuse. The frustrations were constant amid the chaos of the American military establishment during the war and distractions from an unsuccessful parallel effort undertaken by the British. But the resistance didn’t end even after the fuse had been battle-tested and proven to be a godsend. When Section T delivered fuses to the Navy in the Pacific, “[s]ome gunners flatly refused to use the new ammunition,” and it took weeks for the new technology to be widely adopted.
The same happened on the other side of the world. “To the British, the American device remained an unproven technology” reflecting what might be characterized as the “not-invented-here” syndrome. And “[E]ven if the British had wanted to use Section T fuses [to defend London], they couldn’t” because they were prohibited from using it over land. The device was one of the most closely guarded secrets of the war, and military officials feared a downed fuse might somehow make its way to the Nazis. The resistance broke only when Winston Churchill personally intervened to order the gadget’s deployment in the battle against the V-1.
Astonishing results once the military fully deployed the new technology
Once British artillery was rushed to England’s southern coast and the ammunition equipped with the fuses, the impact was dramatic. During the two-and-a-half month period when the buzz bombs fell, British artillery succeeded in bringing down just 9% of the V-1s attacking London to 97% once the device was fully deployed and gunners experienced in using it.
During most of the time since World War II, articles and books written about the proximity fuse—and there’ve been many—have claimed that British technicians invented the device and passed it along to the Americans for production. That’s simply not true, and 12 Seconds of Silence corrects the record based on exhaustive historical research. Section T was a group of American scientists and engineers in one department of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development, and it was they who were truly responsible for designing and building the gadget.
A large cast of colorful characters
There’s a large cast of compelling characters in this book, including several of the scientists and inventors in Section T whose later careers highlighted their brilliance. But Holmes’ story centers on just a handful of individuals:
** Merle Tuve (1901-82), the brilliant and short-tempered physicist who gave his name to Section T, driving a team that ultimately numbered more than a thousand scientists, engineers, and support staff
** Vannevar (sounds like achiever) Bush (1890-1974), who headed the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), the massive American military R&D enterprise in World War II that developed over two hundred new weapons and devices
** Col. Max Wachtel, the German army officer who managed the Nazis’ dreaded V-1 Vengeance-Weapon program
** R. V. Jones (1911-97), who spearheaded scientific espionage for the British and (sometimes) reported directly to Winston Churchill
** Private Edward (Ed) Hatch, an American soldier in the 130th Chemical Processing Company who was on the receiving end of the V-1 explosion in London that took the lives of 74 US soldiers; Hatch’s unit had been rushed to London because the British military leadership feared that the expected onslaught of V-1 rockets would carry chemical or biological warheads
** Jeannie Rousseau (1919-2017), the beautiful young French spy who gathered extensive knowledge about the German superweapon development program at Peenemünde and sent it through Resistance channels to MI6 in London
A book that’s about a lot more than a WWII technology breakthrough
I’ve referred to this book as idiosyncratic. That’s because Holmes’ account wanders over a wide swath of World War II history. It’s crammed with digressions—many of them fascinating, to be sure, but largely peripheral to the story of the proximity fuse and its deployment against the V-1. If Holmes had stuck to the story, he would not have provided such rich detail about the French Resistance, the Normandy landings, and the training of the 130th Chemical Processing Company in the US and their experience in London. This book would have been both shorter . . . and much less entertaining.
This WWII technology breakthrough saved thousands of lives
Holmes’ book brings to the fore the role of the proximity fuse in defeating the first of the Nazi superweapons to surface: the V-1 “buzz bomb.” But the device had far broader applications and played a pivotal role in turning back the German advance in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19-20, 1944) and the Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945) as well. Here’s why the fuse was needed and how it worked:
** “In the early weeks of the Blitz, the ratio of fired [artillery] shells to downed aircraft—a metric described in RPB, or rounds per bird—was twenty thousand to one.” In other words, antiaircraft guns brought down Nazi planes only by the sheerest luck.
** The challenge, then, was to design and produce a gadget that would detonate an artillery shell only within striking distance of an attacking aircraft—not by hitting it directly but by exploding just closely enough for shrapnel to tear the plane apart. American and British scientists and engineers approached this challenge by testing a wide range of options. And the Americans found the one technological fix that proved to work.
** A micro-transmitter in the proximity fuse within the shell uses the shell’s body as an antenna and emits a continuous radio wave. As the shell approaches a reflecting object, the wave bouncing back triggers the detonation when it signals having reached an optimal distance from the target.
Bureaucratic hurdles and brickbats blocked this WWII technology breakthrough
The proximity fuse resulted from the work of a team of American scientists and engineers known as “Section T” led by physicist Merle Tuve. Holmes vividly relates the bureaucratic hurdles and brickbats that Tuve and his lieutenants suffered throughout the development of the fuse. The frustrations were constant amid the chaos of the American military establishment during the war and distractions from an unsuccessful parallel effort undertaken by the British. But the resistance didn’t end even after the fuse had been battle-tested and proven to be a godsend. When Section T delivered fuses to the Navy in the Pacific, “[s]ome gunners flatly refused to use the new ammunition,” and it took weeks for the new technology to be widely adopted.
The same happened on the other side of the world. “To the British, the American device remained an unproven technology” reflecting what might be characterized as the “not-invented-here” syndrome. And “[E]ven if the British had wanted to use Section T fuses [to defend London], they couldn’t” because they were prohibited from using it over land. The device was one of the most closely guarded secrets of the war, and military officials feared a downed fuse might somehow make its way to the Nazis. The resistance broke only when Winston Churchill personally intervened to order the gadget’s deployment in the battle against the V-1.
Astonishing results once the military fully deployed the new technology
Once British artillery was rushed to England’s southern coast and the ammunition equipped with the fuses, the impact was dramatic. During the two-and-a-half month period when the buzz bombs fell, British artillery succeeded in bringing down just 9% of the V-1s attacking London to 97% once the device was fully deployed and gunners experienced in using it.
During most of the time since World War II, articles and books written about the proximity fuse—and there’ve been many—have claimed that British technicians invented the device and passed it along to the Americans for production. That’s simply not true, and 12 Seconds of Silence corrects the record based on exhaustive historical research. Section T was a group of American scientists and engineers in one department of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development, and it was they who were truly responsible for designing and building the gadget.
A large cast of colorful characters
There’s a large cast of compelling characters in this book, including several of the scientists and inventors in Section T whose later careers highlighted their brilliance. But Holmes’ story centers on just a handful of individuals:
** Merle Tuve (1901-82), the brilliant and short-tempered physicist who gave his name to Section T, driving a team that ultimately numbered more than a thousand scientists, engineers, and support staff
** Vannevar (sounds like achiever) Bush (1890-1974), who headed the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), the massive American military R&D enterprise in World War II that developed over two hundred new weapons and devices
** Col. Max Wachtel, the German army officer who managed the Nazis’ dreaded V-1 Vengeance-Weapon program
** R. V. Jones (1911-97), who spearheaded scientific espionage for the British and (sometimes) reported directly to Winston Churchill
** Private Edward (Ed) Hatch, an American soldier in the 130th Chemical Processing Company who was on the receiving end of the V-1 explosion in London that took the lives of 74 US soldiers; Hatch’s unit had been rushed to London because the British military leadership feared that the expected onslaught of V-1 rockets would carry chemical or biological warheads
** Jeannie Rousseau (1919-2017), the beautiful young French spy who gathered extensive knowledge about the German superweapon development program at Peenemünde and sent it through Resistance channels to MI6 in London
A book that’s about a lot more than a WWII technology breakthrough
I’ve referred to this book as idiosyncratic. That’s because Holmes’ account wanders over a wide swath of World War II history. It’s crammed with digressions—many of them fascinating, to be sure, but largely peripheral to the story of the proximity fuse and its deployment against the V-1. If Holmes had stuck to the story, he would not have provided such rich detail about the French Resistance, the Normandy landings, and the training of the 130th Chemical Processing Company in the US and their experience in London. This book would have been both shorter . . . and much less entertaining.
August 21, 2020
Finished 12 Seconds of Silence: How a Team of Inventors, Tinkerers, and Spies Took Down a Nazi Super-weapon by Jamie Holmes. The initial focus of this book is the development of the proximity fuse, a device that allows artillery shells to blow up when encountering planes, tanks and enemy soldiers. In this age of sophisticated weaponry the proximity fuse seems elementary but it was developed by American scientists during WW2 and was carefully deployed at its first use over water so that the Nazi’s couldn’t capture it and reverse engineer it. The real story in the book is the role of pure science and scientific research in weapons development. WW2 scientists created the military industrial complex we know today. Very interesting book.
March 3, 2021
3 stars for the book itself, but 5 stars for the important and undertold story
The proximity fuse, along with radar and the atomic bomb, was a key invention that helped decide world war 2. Its story is interesting not just because of that, but also because unlike the other two it's a microcosm of the process of developing a new technology and popularizing it.
The proximity fuse is a technological marvel: hundreds of tiny electronic components packed into a space smaller than a Coke bottle, able to withstand getting blasted out of a cannon. Designing something that can do that is hard enough (it took Nobel-calibre minds several years). The next part is even harder: build hundreds of thousands of them, in a matter of months. Each of those hundreds of components has its own supply chain that has to be conjured up from nothing, and each is a point of failure that could prevent the fuse from detonating -- costing soldiers their lives. Then you have to convince millions of soldiers spread across the planet to potentially risk their lives on the new technology, teach them to use it effectively, win bureaucratic turf wars with their leaders, and ruggedize the fuse to survive all the abuse it will face in the real world (thrown, dropped, exposed to extreme heat).
12 Seconds of Silence tells the story of how American physicists, engineers, industrialists, military officers, and others came together and overcame those challenges over the course of world war 2 and delivered a revolutionary capability to American troops. The science, engineering and bureaucratic fights get serious, careful treatment, while the story is still told in an engaging enough way that the human interest angle will keep your attention even if your find the technical details dull.
I have two complaints about the book.
First, the style (but not the substance!) is very much an imitation of Ben MacIntyre. The book is actually well-researched and brimming with endnotes, but often adopts a tone that suggests it prioritizes making things seem dramatic over accurately recounting events. I guess that's what sells these days, so fair nuff.
Second, sometimes it seemed like it would've benefited from some editing. I happen to speak German so this stood out to me particularly with poor translations: at one point it mistranslated the German for "potato peel" as "potato top", and another time "long distance cannon" became "deep cannon".
The proximity fuse, along with radar and the atomic bomb, was a key invention that helped decide world war 2. Its story is interesting not just because of that, but also because unlike the other two it's a microcosm of the process of developing a new technology and popularizing it.
The proximity fuse is a technological marvel: hundreds of tiny electronic components packed into a space smaller than a Coke bottle, able to withstand getting blasted out of a cannon. Designing something that can do that is hard enough (it took Nobel-calibre minds several years). The next part is even harder: build hundreds of thousands of them, in a matter of months. Each of those hundreds of components has its own supply chain that has to be conjured up from nothing, and each is a point of failure that could prevent the fuse from detonating -- costing soldiers their lives. Then you have to convince millions of soldiers spread across the planet to potentially risk their lives on the new technology, teach them to use it effectively, win bureaucratic turf wars with their leaders, and ruggedize the fuse to survive all the abuse it will face in the real world (thrown, dropped, exposed to extreme heat).
12 Seconds of Silence tells the story of how American physicists, engineers, industrialists, military officers, and others came together and overcame those challenges over the course of world war 2 and delivered a revolutionary capability to American troops. The science, engineering and bureaucratic fights get serious, careful treatment, while the story is still told in an engaging enough way that the human interest angle will keep your attention even if your find the technical details dull.
I have two complaints about the book.
First, the style (but not the substance!) is very much an imitation of Ben MacIntyre. The book is actually well-researched and brimming with endnotes, but often adopts a tone that suggests it prioritizes making things seem dramatic over accurately recounting events. I guess that's what sells these days, so fair nuff.
Second, sometimes it seemed like it would've benefited from some editing. I happen to speak German so this stood out to me particularly with poor translations: at one point it mistranslated the German for "potato peel" as "potato top", and another time "long distance cannon" became "deep cannon".
March 21, 2025
12 Seconds of Silence: How a Team of Inventors, Tinkerers, and Spies Took Down a Nazi Superweapon by Jamie Holmes is a gripping and meticulously researched non-fiction account of an unlikely group of individuals—engineers, inventors, and spies—who played a pivotal role in sabotaging one of Nazi Germany’s most formidable technological advancements during World War II. The book brings together science, espionage, and wartime ingenuity to tell the story of how the German military’s secret weapon, the V-2 rocket, was ultimately thwarted by a combination of intelligence, creativity, and sabotage.
At the heart of the narrative is the V-2 rocket, a technological marvel that had the potential to change the course of the war. The rocket was a powerful weapon designed to rain terror on Allied cities, and its success could have given the Nazis a strategic advantage. Holmes focuses on the efforts of a diverse and eclectic group of people, including British engineers, Polish resistance fighters, and even American spies, who worked relentlessly to prevent the rocket from reaching its full potential. These characters, each with their own expertise and motivations, are the real heroes of the story.
Holmes excels in bringing these characters to life, offering readers insights into their backgrounds, personalities, and the risks they took. He introduces figures like the British inventor and engineer, who worked on dismantling German rocket technology, and the spies who risked their lives to gather crucial intelligence. The book is filled with vivid descriptions of covert operations, sabotage missions, and high-stakes moments, creating an atmosphere of tension and excitement that keeps readers hooked.
One of the book’s strengths is its ability to blend technical details with human drama. Holmes does not shy away from the complexities of the science behind the V-2 rocket and the ingenuity required to defeat it. However, he also skillfully balances these technical aspects with the personal stories of the individuals involved, making the narrative accessible to a wide range of readers, regardless of their familiarity with the subject matter.
In addition to its fascinating subject matter, 12 Seconds of Silence also serves as a reminder of the power of collaboration and the importance of innovation in times of crisis. The story of how a disparate group of people came together to take down one of the most feared weapons of the war is both inspiring and humbling. It underscores the idea that even in the darkest of times, creative thinking and teamwork can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.
The pacing of the book is tight, and Holmes skillfully weaves together different timelines and perspectives to build a cohesive and compelling narrative. The book is both informative and entertaining, offering readers a deep dive into a little-known chapter of World War II history, while also shining a light on the unsung heroes who made significant contributions to the Allied victory.
Overall, 12 Seconds of Silence is a fascinating and well-crafted exploration of innovation, espionage, and perseverance during World War II. Holmes provides readers with a captivating story of how a team of unlikely heroes worked together to bring down one of history’s most dangerous superweapons, offering both an educational and thrilling reading experience.
At the heart of the narrative is the V-2 rocket, a technological marvel that had the potential to change the course of the war. The rocket was a powerful weapon designed to rain terror on Allied cities, and its success could have given the Nazis a strategic advantage. Holmes focuses on the efforts of a diverse and eclectic group of people, including British engineers, Polish resistance fighters, and even American spies, who worked relentlessly to prevent the rocket from reaching its full potential. These characters, each with their own expertise and motivations, are the real heroes of the story.
Holmes excels in bringing these characters to life, offering readers insights into their backgrounds, personalities, and the risks they took. He introduces figures like the British inventor and engineer, who worked on dismantling German rocket technology, and the spies who risked their lives to gather crucial intelligence. The book is filled with vivid descriptions of covert operations, sabotage missions, and high-stakes moments, creating an atmosphere of tension and excitement that keeps readers hooked.
One of the book’s strengths is its ability to blend technical details with human drama. Holmes does not shy away from the complexities of the science behind the V-2 rocket and the ingenuity required to defeat it. However, he also skillfully balances these technical aspects with the personal stories of the individuals involved, making the narrative accessible to a wide range of readers, regardless of their familiarity with the subject matter.
In addition to its fascinating subject matter, 12 Seconds of Silence also serves as a reminder of the power of collaboration and the importance of innovation in times of crisis. The story of how a disparate group of people came together to take down one of the most feared weapons of the war is both inspiring and humbling. It underscores the idea that even in the darkest of times, creative thinking and teamwork can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.
The pacing of the book is tight, and Holmes skillfully weaves together different timelines and perspectives to build a cohesive and compelling narrative. The book is both informative and entertaining, offering readers a deep dive into a little-known chapter of World War II history, while also shining a light on the unsung heroes who made significant contributions to the Allied victory.
Overall, 12 Seconds of Silence is a fascinating and well-crafted exploration of innovation, espionage, and perseverance during World War II. Holmes provides readers with a captivating story of how a team of unlikely heroes worked together to bring down one of history’s most dangerous superweapons, offering both an educational and thrilling reading experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2023
I rated “12 Seconds of Silence” by Jamie Holmes five stars because I found it to be better than I expected and it always kept me interested. The book goes on to explain the complicated yet interesting series of events that lead up to major scientific and technological discoveries during the early 20th century, specifically during the interwar period and WW2. My history teacher talked about this book briefly in class one day and it sparked my interest, so I went to my school’s library to check it out. Personally, I enjoy the attention to detail that the book holds with all the stories and parts it explains, from the discovery of radar during the interwar to the V1 rockets at the end of WW2. It also takes on the task of providing backstory for important people in the book, explaining parts of their upbringing and childhood that affected how they were. One more thing I'd like to point out about it is the topics it covers. The main point of the book is the description of the German nuclear program and their plans to make super weapons, and how they were foiled by brilliant minds like Albert Einstein. This topic is rarely known by many people and it puts in your head the possibility and goal of pain and absolute devastation ww2 had brought and planned to bring. It shows us as a society that an effort was mounted strictly and strongly to prevent this pain from happening and that we can still fight back and dictate our own actions. These brave engineers, physicians, spies, and inventors stopped what could have been nuclear bombs in Paris and London. If you're more interested about the technological sides of wars, or about the conspiracies undergone during this era of history, I'd definitely check this book out.
September 23, 2021
A fascinating read. It's the story of the first smart weapon.
Merle Tuve, who would eventually become the leader of “Section T,” has been tasked with designing a new type of fuse for anti-aircraft shells. In the early days of World War II, naval gunners were practically defenseless against fighter planes and bombers. The author describes the antiquated, inefficient process of loading and aiming shells meant to bring down enemy planes before they could sink battleships and destroyers. “No wonder it took thousands of rounds to knock one ‘bird’ out of the sky,” he writes. “No wonder every ack-ack gunner dreamed of a shell that could automatically explore near a target.” Officials realized that the war would be won by air power and, thus, also by air defense. Tuve was responsible for developing a new kind of fuse for these shells, one that did not require nearly impossible feats of technical calculations performed in seconds against planes moving hundreds of miles per hour. The proximity fuse he created was a work of true genius, but like any great invention, it required immense amounts of perseverance and human ingenuity. Using radio waves to detect proximity, the fuse was able to make shells that were far more accurate than anything before. Holmes also focuses on the creation of the V-1 flying bomb, the Nazi “superweapon.” His harrowing description of London under incessant bombardment in the months after D-Day makes the success of the fuse all the more amazing. The author’s chronicle of the Battle of the Bulge and the decisive role of proximity fuses in that final confrontation is equally fascinating. Holmes is a meticulous historian, and while his story begins a bit sluggishly with the scientific and political efforts necessary to deploy the proximity fuse, he ends up showing how this technological marvel played an invaluable role in winning the war.
Merle Tuve, who would eventually become the leader of “Section T,” has been tasked with designing a new type of fuse for anti-aircraft shells. In the early days of World War II, naval gunners were practically defenseless against fighter planes and bombers. The author describes the antiquated, inefficient process of loading and aiming shells meant to bring down enemy planes before they could sink battleships and destroyers. “No wonder it took thousands of rounds to knock one ‘bird’ out of the sky,” he writes. “No wonder every ack-ack gunner dreamed of a shell that could automatically explore near a target.” Officials realized that the war would be won by air power and, thus, also by air defense. Tuve was responsible for developing a new kind of fuse for these shells, one that did not require nearly impossible feats of technical calculations performed in seconds against planes moving hundreds of miles per hour. The proximity fuse he created was a work of true genius, but like any great invention, it required immense amounts of perseverance and human ingenuity. Using radio waves to detect proximity, the fuse was able to make shells that were far more accurate than anything before. Holmes also focuses on the creation of the V-1 flying bomb, the Nazi “superweapon.” His harrowing description of London under incessant bombardment in the months after D-Day makes the success of the fuse all the more amazing. The author’s chronicle of the Battle of the Bulge and the decisive role of proximity fuses in that final confrontation is equally fascinating. Holmes is a meticulous historian, and while his story begins a bit sluggishly with the scientific and political efforts necessary to deploy the proximity fuse, he ends up showing how this technological marvel played an invaluable role in winning the war.
March 16, 2025
Often regarded as the second greatest invention of World War 2, behind the atomic bomb, the proximity fuze allowed Allied ships to combat Japanese aircraft in the Pacific, German V-1 Buzz Bombs over England and Antwerp, and German troops in the Ardennes. The radar proximity fuze allowed the Allied to decrease the “rounds per bird” (number of antiaircraft shells to down an aircraft). Prior to development of the proximity fuze, it would take thousands of shells to down each aircraft. The proximity fuze reduced that number to hundreds of rounds per bird at worst. At the Battle of the Philippine Sea off the Marianas, naval antiaircraft with the proximity fuze and fighters downed 92% (395 aircraft) of all Japanese aircraft launched against the US Fleet. When the proximity fuze was used against buzz bombs, the number of buzz bombs that made it through sometimes dropped to single-digit percentages. And, when the fuze was authorized for anti-infantry artillery, the effects were devastating.
This book tells the story of the proximity fuze, from its development at Section T of the Applied Physics Lab in Silver Spring, Maryland under physicist Merle Tuve to its deployment around the world. The book covers British and American scientists who worked on it, as well as the companies producing it, and the soldiers, sailors, and anti aircraft crews (male and female) who used it. The book is interesting, weaving in the events around the world that necessitated it. Great read for students of history or technology.
This book tells the story of the proximity fuze, from its development at Section T of the Applied Physics Lab in Silver Spring, Maryland under physicist Merle Tuve to its deployment around the world. The book covers British and American scientists who worked on it, as well as the companies producing it, and the soldiers, sailors, and anti aircraft crews (male and female) who used it. The book is interesting, weaving in the events around the world that necessitated it. Great read for students of history or technology.
January 7, 2021
Would it be wrong of me to say my first book of 2021 and it started out with a bang? (sorry, bad joke)
A fascinating glimpse of a side of WW2 I had only passing knowledge of - the OSRD. Basically the men and women who tinkered and experimented and had failure after failure but ultimately supplied the Allies with better weapons. We were also given a peek into the German side of things, and the real life and death competition.
The book centered mostly on the "proximity fuse and traced it's path from crazy idea through the many challenges of invention and testing it, ultimately to how it changed warfare forever. The author did an excellent job tracing the rise of the V1 rocket, how they devistated London after D-day and how it was saved thanks to the "Gonzo" fuse.
They was a great amount of personality brought to the main players, and I the epilogue tracing them in the years past the war. The writing style, thankfully was an engaging narrative, with as much detail and insight as facts and details.
The full scope of the project however wasn't brought out until the last sentences when Dr Tuve was being interviewed by a reporter who just happened to be a survivor of the Ardennes forest. Tuve felt remorse since so many of his inventions took so many lives. The reporter switched off the tape recorder and told him all about the number of lives he had saved.
A fascinating glimpse of a side of WW2 I had only passing knowledge of - the OSRD. Basically the men and women who tinkered and experimented and had failure after failure but ultimately supplied the Allies with better weapons. We were also given a peek into the German side of things, and the real life and death competition.
The book centered mostly on the "proximity fuse and traced it's path from crazy idea through the many challenges of invention and testing it, ultimately to how it changed warfare forever. The author did an excellent job tracing the rise of the V1 rocket, how they devistated London after D-day and how it was saved thanks to the "Gonzo" fuse.
They was a great amount of personality brought to the main players, and I the epilogue tracing them in the years past the war. The writing style, thankfully was an engaging narrative, with as much detail and insight as facts and details.
The full scope of the project however wasn't brought out until the last sentences when Dr Tuve was being interviewed by a reporter who just happened to be a survivor of the Ardennes forest. Tuve felt remorse since so many of his inventions took so many lives. The reporter switched off the tape recorder and told him all about the number of lives he had saved.
December 19, 2020
This was the best book that I read in 2020. I have read 20+ books on WWII and the story of the radio proximity fuse was largely unknown to me prior to reading this book. While the book could have taken a very dry approach and simply listed out the scientific process for its development, Jamie Holmes brought each character to life and made this work a true page turner.
In addition to his style, Holmes also intertwines stories of the French resistance, raids on German Warzburg radar sites, and other operations to collect valuable scientific intelligence as it pertained to the proximity fuse project. The German perspective of the development of the V1 at Peenemunde was also eloquently included while providing insight into the operations of Jeannine Rousseau who fed invaluable information to the allies on the development of the "super weapon"
While during the early years the collective effort went by the moniker "Section T" the overarching narrative provided by this book describes what eventually became the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL).
I am normally skeptical of the advanced reviews provided by the publisher on the back of the book. But if you are a fan of Ben McIntyre and any sort of spy thriller, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
In addition to his style, Holmes also intertwines stories of the French resistance, raids on German Warzburg radar sites, and other operations to collect valuable scientific intelligence as it pertained to the proximity fuse project. The German perspective of the development of the V1 at Peenemunde was also eloquently included while providing insight into the operations of Jeannine Rousseau who fed invaluable information to the allies on the development of the "super weapon"
While during the early years the collective effort went by the moniker "Section T" the overarching narrative provided by this book describes what eventually became the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL).
I am normally skeptical of the advanced reviews provided by the publisher on the back of the book. But if you are a fan of Ben McIntyre and any sort of spy thriller, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2025
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I've been attempting to read more non-fiction, and I think 12 Seconds of Silence is a great pick for anyone who reads non-fiction but isn't very familiar with WWII or, like me, is trying to get through more non-fiction.
Holmes's prose is readable and often beautifully written. He has a way with words, and I found it provided a sense of excitement and grounding with such a serious and dark topic. That said, plot-wise it was not always the easiest read. Holmes seemed to have a bit of a continuity issue - beautifully typed up sentences about one topic or time period would suddenly jump to another in the same paragraph. I sometimes had to read sections over again to confirm what was going on. But as Holmes is a relatively young author, I imagine this will improve over his career.
Overall, I appreciated how many fascinating topics were tied together into one narrative: the invention of the proximity fuse, the development of scientific intelligence in both the US and the UK, exciting spy stories and terrifying missions (my favorite story was the theft of the German's advanced radar disk in France), the Nazi's inventions of military and terror weapons, and the progress of the war in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
Holmes's prose is readable and often beautifully written. He has a way with words, and I found it provided a sense of excitement and grounding with such a serious and dark topic. That said, plot-wise it was not always the easiest read. Holmes seemed to have a bit of a continuity issue - beautifully typed up sentences about one topic or time period would suddenly jump to another in the same paragraph. I sometimes had to read sections over again to confirm what was going on. But as Holmes is a relatively young author, I imagine this will improve over his career.
Overall, I appreciated how many fascinating topics were tied together into one narrative: the invention of the proximity fuse, the development of scientific intelligence in both the US and the UK, exciting spy stories and terrifying missions (my favorite story was the theft of the German's advanced radar disk in France), the Nazi's inventions of military and terror weapons, and the progress of the war in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
January 28, 2025
I found this book to be very interesting, well written and very well researched. The subject/s of the book (primarily the development of the “smart proximity fuse - but other scientists developments as well) were very informative.
Holmes does an excellent job of tracking the development of not only the fuse and other scientific inventions to aid in the WW2 war effort, but also the organizations (ORSD, Section T, etc.) created to bring scientists, engineers and others together to work on the many breakthroughs. He also gives a great look into the primary movers (Merle Tuve, Vannevar Bush, and others) who put these organizations together, and the bureaucratic hurdles they had to overcome to get their inventions adopted by the military (both in the U.S. and Britain). He also recounts the history and personalities in Germany and their use of scientists to develop their wonder weapons (primarily the V1).
Holmes does an excellent job of tracking the development of not only the fuse and other scientific inventions to aid in the WW2 war effort, but also the organizations (ORSD, Section T, etc.) created to bring scientists, engineers and others together to work on the many breakthroughs. He also gives a great look into the primary movers (Merle Tuve, Vannevar Bush, and others) who put these organizations together, and the bureaucratic hurdles they had to overcome to get their inventions adopted by the military (both in the U.S. and Britain). He also recounts the history and personalities in Germany and their use of scientists to develop their wonder weapons (primarily the V1).
February 13, 2021
I want to give this book more than three stars, but I think I would have to reread it within a shorter time to appreciate it more, and I would also have to understand it better. While not terribly technical, I did not entirely grasp all the science behind the fuse that took out the Nazi V-1. I feel that I got more than a gist of what was going on, but the design and workings of the fuse are not clear to me. It is still a good read for understanding what it took to build the fuse after so much trial and error and to see its impact on the war, but I think engineers would get the most out of it. Those like me with less background in the sciences can still get a good dose of history about a little-known story of World War II and know of the dread while waiting through twelve seconds of silence to know one's fate.
December 1, 2022
Back story of the radio-controlled fuse that helped rockets and other ordinance to target planes, V-1's and soldiers during WWII. This story interestingly shows the step by step development and roadblocks of teams of scientists in developing these devices, and the military's mostly nonchalant adoption of them. Spectacular improvement in "kills" finally proved the efficacy of the new fuses. Although I have read many WWII books, this story is unique because it sticks to the backstory of how the various parts were constructed and all the many materials they tried to use and failed. Thankfully, the German scientists were on the same trail, but took some wrong detours. Also, after the war, the Rosenburgs sold the fuse to the Russians during their spying activities. Lots of interesting connections with other info I have gathered from other sources. Excellent read!
Read
November 25, 2020a very thorough "untold story of unsung heroes" covering scientific armaments research leading up to WW II. Vanevar Bush stars, along with American and British scientists and engineers tackling tough challenges posed by the emergence of air power as a decisive branch of military power.
Anti-aircraft artillery was behind the curve; this is the story of conceiving, developing and 'marketing' a key component in response: the proximity fuse.
Final chapters highlight the stunning success of this invention in blunting the dire threat to London of Hitler's "revenge weapon," the V2 pilotless drone bomb.
Anti-aircraft artillery was behind the curve; this is the story of conceiving, developing and 'marketing' a key component in response: the proximity fuse.
Final chapters highlight the stunning success of this invention in blunting the dire threat to London of Hitler's "revenge weapon," the V2 pilotless drone bomb.
February 10, 2025
The story this book tells is absolutely fascinating and really puts into context some part of WW2 I didn't realize I wanted to know more about. As it says in its epilogue, much of the development of this fuse faded into history and yet was so critical at multiple points in the war - even the nuclear bomb. It's well written and in my favorite style of nonfiction, simply writing a story and including quotes that are cited at the end, but without distracting footnotes. I know there's an oversaturated market of World War 2 stories but they do all build onto each other, and this one is definitely something that slots into the already popular knowledge of various battles and weapons.
September 2, 2021
The story of the development, manufacture, deployment, and operational use of the radar proximity artillery fuze in WW2. The fuze was used in both the Pacific and European theaters of the war for multiple purposes (anti-aircraft, anti-personnel, etc). This book's emphasis is on the use of the fuze in anti-aircraft artillery in Britain to counter Germany's V-1 or "buzz bomb" assault on London. If you would also be interested in a good, detailed technical account of the fuze's development, consider reading "The Deadly Fuze."
December 19, 2022
This book took me longer to finish not because it was boring but because it was in a physical format which keep me from devouring it every chance I got if it was an ebook. I’m not big on nonfiction or war glamorization in literature but this book made me appreciate science and civilian minds behind the war. Never had thought to connect all the nameless faces who made winning the war possible or even the mental toll it would take on them. Anyone wants a good historical read that feels like cinematic documentary this is the book for you!
April 20, 2024
Great work covering Section T and their development work, primarily of the proximity fuse, within the context of both the fighting overseas and the domestic support to the fight. The latter is often under-appreciated, but the pace and scale of weapon development and industrial mobilization in the US is well represented here. Worth noting this isn’t a pure historical account of Section T’s work, instead more of a historic narrative that chooses the necessary details for the story. Does a great job recognizing the accomplishments of those involved from development to employment.
July 30, 2022
vzostup vedy v zbrojarskom priemysle ako ako sa dali dokopy inovatori z roznych casti USA aby vymysleli ako co najefektivnejsie zostrelovat lietadla (tato rozbuska neskor mala omnoho viac vyuziti ako len proti lietadla) a berie sa ako hlavny parameter preco nemecke V1 stratili na ucinnosti pri utokoch na londyn. Zaroven su tam aj opisy ako spojenci ukradli nemecky radar v francuzsku co tomu dopomohlo a ako francuzska spionka pri niesla vitalne informacie o nazistickej superzbrani
December 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Well written, well documented important piece of mostly unknown history. everyone knows about the nuclear bomb, most know about the development of radar, but few people know much about the development of the proximity detection fuse. (I did not). This was before the development of transistors, and making micro electronic anything was a huge challenge. Never mid hurling it at 25 times the force of gravity.
Fascinating book. Definitely worth a read.
Fascinating book. Definitely worth a read.
February 20, 2024
Great description of the development of the proximity fuse, going into technical details; and provided some broader context of the "science war" between allies / axis during WW2 which was quite interesting. The attempts to describe the personalities of the people involved were interesting if a bit hamhanded. Overall an interesting topic that has been overshadowed by e.g. the manhattan project or development of radar.
January 11, 2021
3.5 stars, maybe four if you are into WWII technology or S&TI. It bounces around a bit, but the main focus is on OSRD's Section T (which later became Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory) and their development of the proximity fuse. The book also delves into development of the V1 and V2, and some spycraft used to learn about Nazi weapons. Enjoyable book.
October 27, 2022
A NF account of the people who cracked the code on remote targeting weapons to take down Nazi airborne craft during WWII.
Overall, I liked it. It was engaging and accessible it’s out being juvenile or otherwise dumbed down. The author went all over the place, following different players in the grand drama, but overall it tied together and made a cohesive whole.
Overall, I liked it. It was engaging and accessible it’s out being juvenile or otherwise dumbed down. The author went all over the place, following different players in the grand drama, but overall it tied together and made a cohesive whole.
October 5, 2023
Heavily researched account of WW2 weapons development. Written in a narrative form, this book is easy to read while still being informative. I half-expect this to be turned into a movie, though I don’t think it would come together as cleanly as movies like “The Imitation Game” (about Turing and British intelligence in WW2)
September 4, 2020
Excellent history
Twelve Second s of Silence tells the history of the development of the proximity fuse. This dude was critical in improving the shoot down rate in the Pacific and in England. It's role in countering the V1 attacks on London in the summer of 1944 is amazing.
Twelve Second s of Silence tells the history of the development of the proximity fuse. This dude was critical in improving the shoot down rate in the Pacific and in England. It's role in countering the V1 attacks on London in the summer of 1944 is amazing.
August 16, 2021
A bit of physics, radar, early electronics and a lot of sweat, throw in some espionage, a group of people willing to try this, and you may have an asset that may be an answer to shooting down those pesky V1's and Zeros. Yes, it worked!
September 19, 2021
This book told a very engaging story of technology being used to solve a problem of war and brought the people to life nicely. At times, it loses focuses and tells a general history of the war but even then it is well written.
August 30, 2022
A very interesting account about proximity fuses' development in America during WWII, which I had never known before I picked the book up. The force of scientific curiosity and persistence is truly inspiring even to this day. It's a very organized and fun non-fiction, too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews