I second the recommendation for The Making of the Atomic Bomb. That books more or less defined the category of "narrative history" for me. So much better than any other history I had ever read at the time.
Similar story but of a failed physics project is "Project Prometheus" by George Dyson, Richard Dyson's son. It's about the project to use atomic explosions for extremely efficient propulsion. With proper implementation, such atomic bomb thrusters would have allowed for 100,000 ton payloads and a truly space faring society.