American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (2024)

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Hot Books New Books Read this for college paper and it's actually pretty engaging。 Very comprehensive， but almost to a fault。 Dude's story is way more wild than I thought and I can't wait to what Chris Nolan does with this guy's life。 Read this for college paper and it's actually pretty engaging。 Very comprehensive， but almost to a fault。 Dude's story is way more wild than I thought and I can't wait to what Chris Nolan does with this guy's life。。。。more Great， extremely in depth biography。 At times too detailed and bringing in way too many individuals accounts on an event but I quite enjoyed learning about Oppie。 "Now I am become death， the destroyer of worlds。” Robert Oppenheimer quoting the Bhagavad-Gita was the first thing I learned about the man who i idolized for a long time。 What fascinating man Oppenheimer was。 I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be so brilliant and yet so flawed。 He certainly thought very highly of himself and loved being adored。 The book was very good and very thorough， I’d say。 "Now I am become death， the destroyer of worlds。” Robert Oppenheimer quoting the Bhagavad-Gita was the first thing I learned about the man who i idolized for a long time。 What fascinating man Oppenheimer was。 I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be so brilliant and yet so flawed。 He certainly thought very highly of himself and loved being adored。 The book was very good and very thorough， I’d say。。。。more An atomic-level portrait of Oppie’s rise and fall。 This is indeed a tragedy more so than a biography。 But the arrow of time is with science and liberal inquiry unless we do indeed destroy ourselves one way or another。 Interesting book， well written， and very very detailed。 I'd prefer an edited version with about 50% less details but that's just me。 Still a great read。 Interesting book， well written， and very very detailed。 I'd prefer an edited version with about 50% less details but that's just me。 Still a great read。。。。more This was a fantastic book but I felt like I needed to give it three stars because everything was viewed through the lens Oppenheimers dalliances with the American Communist Party and various leftist movements。 The book does such a great job of portraying him as this towering intellectual and humanist， but them spends so much time focusing on the communist stuff that it really gets old。 I get that it played a large part in his downfall， but it felt like the really interesting aspects of the Manha This was a fantastic book but I felt like I needed to give it three stars because everything was viewed through the lens Oppenheimers dalliances with the American Communist Party and various leftist movements。 The book does such a great job of portraying him as this towering intellectual and humanist， but them spends so much time focusing on the communist stuff that it really gets old。 I get that it played a large part in his downfall， but it felt like the really interesting aspects of the Manhattan Project played second fiddle to whether or not Oppie was being spied on and by whom while he was there。 Still， good book and interesting person。。。。more A thoroughly researched biography covering the entire life of a complex and fascinating physicist scientist and historical figure。 A hero to many and villain to some who got shredded by the sociopolitical machine that was the US government in the era of McCarthyism， despite the fact that the US would not have been able to start out and maintain top dog status for the subsequent arms race and cold war without him。 What I thought was particularly interesting was the evolution of his stance regardi A thoroughly researched biography covering the entire life of a complex and fascinating physicist scientist and historical figure。 A hero to many and villain to some who got shredded by the sociopolitical machine that was the US government in the era of McCarthyism， despite the fact that the US would not have been able to start out and maintain top dog status for the subsequent arms race and cold war without him。 What I thought was particularly interesting was the evolution of his stance regarding use of the same atomic weapons that he basically managed to invent from a theoretical pipe dream through to development and implementation。 Also fascinated （and frustrated） by the dichotomy of someone so obviously intelligent yet also naive for not having the foresight to understand the devastation his work would bring， how it would change the course of humanity， or that his status as a world renowned scientist would shield him from the radical yet rational opinions of his youth and prevent him from being dragged down by the vitriol of US politics later in his life。。。。more I was impressed with the sheer depth of Oppenheimer， scientist and philosopher。 His contributions at Los Alamos are to be remembered and cherished。 That said， it’s tough to view him as a hero given the womanizing。 The book mightily sagged post war and the authors insinuated that anyone to Oppenheimer’s right were politically amoral。 Next time， leave the politics out of it。 got this from the NYPL Interesting but far， far too long。 Incredibly well researched and organized and very well written。 Definitely worth reading。 If you want an in-depth view into the opaque personality of Robert Oppenheimer， this is a very good book。 Its emphasis on the 1954 security clearance was a bit much for this non- historian， with its detailed recounting of the testimony， but a very clear picture emerges of the era of paranoid anti- communism and the individuals whose personal egos drove it。 A very good read。 I was a little worried that this 800-page book would be a little heavy， especially involving quantum physics and some of the most difficult philosophical dilemmas that humanity has ever had to grapple with。 Turns out that this was a true page-turner that I could not manage to put aside for more than a day。 J。 Robert Oppenheimer is a truly fascinating figure， and the development of nuclear weapons in this book gets the right treatment。 The context is very clearly set out， and all the dilemmas of I was a little worried that this 800-page book would be a little heavy， especially involving quantum physics and some of the most difficult philosophical dilemmas that humanity has ever had to grapple with。 Turns out that this was a true page-turner that I could not manage to put aside for more than a day。 J。 Robert Oppenheimer is a truly fascinating figure， and the development of nuclear weapons in this book gets the right treatment。 The context is very clearly set out， and all the dilemmas of the scientists involved are given consideration。 The bad guy in this book is politics， and because Truman is （after reading Keynes on Wilson） exposed as maybe not the sharpest knife in the drawer， serious doubts emerge as to the appropriateness of the American President as the glorious leader of the West。 A bonus feature of the book is the way you get to appreciate what certain procedures guaranteed by the rule of law are really for， and why they shouldn’t be brushed aside。。。。more A little too dense and detailed at times for my liking but overall an extremely comprehensive look at Oppenheimers life。 Starts off with his childhood and what made him the man he became with the morals that he did。 Fascinating insight into his process of making the bomb， well interwoven with his constant troubles due to his past exposure to communism。 By far the most fascinating part of the book was his security clearance hearing and how the deck was stacked against him tAs the winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Biography， this extensively researched book shines a light on the life of one of America’s most complex， brilliant， and persecuted public figures: the father of the atomic bomb， J。 Robert Oppenheimer。 The childhood and youth of a genius is rarely without challenges， and his was no exception。 A particularly brutal instance of bullying， which occurred at a summer camp， comes to mind in this regard。 Another challenge he faced as a college student was the tAs the winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Biography， this extensively researched book shines a light on the life of one of America’s most complex， brilliant， and persecuted public figures: the father of the atomic bomb， J。 Robert Oppenheimer。 The childhood and youth of a genius is rarely without challenges， and his was no exception。 A particularly brutal instance of bullying， which occurred at a summer camp， comes to mind in this regard。 Another challenge he faced as a college student was the decision of what to select as a major since he could excel in any number of fields。 For example， he was good at languages。 When he became interested in the Bhagavad Gita， he learned Sanskrit in order to read it in the original。 Ultimately， he chose theoretical physics， and his path was set which would lead inexorably to Trinity and beyond。tBy far， the most difficult and maddening part of the book， however， is the coverage of the 1954 congressional hearings by Senator Joseph McCarthy。 A number of Hollywood figures as well as atomic scientists were targeted， pilloried in the press， professionally skewered， and ruined by allegations of Communist connections dating back to the twenties and thirties。 Although never a party member， Oppenheimer was caught up in this for several reasons: loyalty to pink friends， financial donations to social justice causes， support for trade unions， etc。 He was liberal， and he was progressive。 But disloyal he was not。tI recommend this book and learned a lot。 But be advised， it is a BIG BOOK！t 。。。more A very well-researched book about J。 Robert Oppenheimer， but I think ultimately what I really wanted from this book was a semi-detailed history of the atomic bomb。 While it does cover his experiences at Los Alamos during the time of WWII and his points of view on nuclear warfare， this book does not go into too much detail about the history around it and further developments by the US and other countries。 Overall a good book， but was expecting something a little different。 Fascinating book about one of the most influential scientists in history。 I was surprised how relevant the history of Oppenheimer's rise and fall are to today's headlines。 I am very glad I read this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in science， the history of the atom bomb， the psychology of genius and the seeds that vicious political infighting sowed that are still playing out today。 The only reason I rated this four stars instead of 5 is because it is 721 pages long so you have Fascinating book about one of the most influential scientists in history。 I was surprised how relevant the history of Oppenheimer's rise and fall are to today's headlines。 I am very glad I read this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in science， the history of the atom bomb， the psychology of genius and the seeds that vicious political infighting sowed that are still playing out today。 The only reason I rated this four stars instead of 5 is because it is 721 pages long so you have to be really interested in the topic to stick with it。 I'm glad I did。。。。。。more “We knew the world would not be the same。” I will be thinking about this book for years。 The above is about the highest praise I can give a piece of writing。 Oppenheimer was a intelligent and complicated man who bore responsibility but no guilt for the humanity ending capability of the bomb he ushered into existence。 A brilliant scientist， lover of Proust and the Bagavad Gita， I would happily share a martini with him if it were possible。 Very detailed， very well researched， and very long。 I found the first half much more engaging than the second， which is surprising given how dramatic things got for Oppenheimer later in his life。 It's likely because the author gets so bogged down quoting transcripts and trying to explain political situations that the focus shifts off of the actual storytelling。 Prepare to keep track of a LOT of names。 Very detailed， very well researched， and very long。 I found the first half much more engaging than the second， which is surprising given how dramatic things got for Oppenheimer later in his life。 It's likely because the author gets so bogged down quoting transcripts and trying to explain political situations that the focus shifts off of the actual storytelling。 Prepare to keep track of a LOT of names。。。。more The Curious Case of Dr。 ManhattanStranger than fiction this biography is。On the eve of the Second World War， the allies expected Nazi Germany to invade Soviet Russia。 Hitler’s anti-bolshevik rhetoric and persecution of German communists was observed with bated breaths in the West。 They wished for war between their two enemies and hoped with considerable glee for an end of both the regimes。 Imagine their bewilderment when the secret negotiations between Ribbentrop and Molotov， the respective The Curious Case of Dr。 ManhattanStranger than fiction this biography is。On the eve of the Second World War， the allies expected Nazi Germany to invade Soviet Russia。 Hitler’s anti-bolshevik rhetoric and persecution of German communists was observed with bated breaths in the West。 They wished for war between their two enemies and hoped with considerable glee for an end of both the regimes。 Imagine their bewilderment when the secret negotiations between Ribbentrop and Molotov， the respective foreign ministers of Germany and USSR， bore fruit as the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact。Because of this unexpected development， not only rulers of Western Europe， but also communists all around the world were faced with discomfort and confusion。 The steady stream of anti-Nazi propaganda that they had published would have to be swallowed back。 Communists in India， supporting the British war effort up till now， did an about turn and started pressing for non-cooperation。 You see， the Nazis who were arch nemesis of the communists up till now had suddenly become allies。 A couple of years later when the peace treaty was terminated upon the German invasion of USSR， the communists all over the world flipped again， baying for blood of the Nazis once more。 This is quite understandable。 After all communism was not just an ideology。 It was an international conspiracy hatched in Moscow。 Of course its not as if all the communists all over the world were in on it。 Some were， well just gullible。 The flip-flop in the party line according to the relations between two foreign countries rubbed many party members the wrong way。 They got disillusioned and quit。 Oppenheimer was one such fellow traveller。 A supporter of the causes championed by the Communist Party of America since a tender age， he was never a formal member of the party， but he was a great sympathiser and a munificent contributor to its finances。 Never he would have imagined that his noble intentions would be the cause of misery and ignominy to him in the future。His contribution to the security apparatus and the ensuing world dominion of the USA remain unparalleled。 His biography， however， is not a mere eulogy。 It is a thick description of the complexities of his personality and its evolution throughout his lifetime。 Published several decades after his demise， the book is also a technical feat displaying the astute research of its Pulitzer Prize winning authors。 It must be noted that Martin Sherwin is a professor of history and it shows in the meticulous nature of this volume。 The book dwells deeply into the social， political and economic phenomena reflected in Robert Oppenheimer’s life。 A marvellous， enlightening and commendable read。However， this is not surprising in the least。 The subject of this book is as fantastic as a Greek myth。 Truly an American Prometheus。 A maverick， a genius， a polymath， a womaniser… Oppenheimer was immensely talented。 Apart from his discipline of Physics and his legendary role in the development of the atomic bomb， he was a man of the arts。 Fluent in multiple languages， Oppenheimer was a lover of literature， his own writings and speeches were as poetic as they were prophetic。 Upon reading this book one realises that he was meant for nothing but greatness。 I could continue singing his paeans but I have to stop。 As I said， this book is not a mere eulogy。 Of the many themes explored in this， the role and position of science， stands apart。 The relationship of science with statecraft is reflected in Oppenheimer’s career as a scientist。 He himself struggled to negotiate the correct designation of science as a consultant to the US government。 Is science a tool in the hands of the state and thereby the military？ Or is it the guiding light for the whole of humanity？ These are fundamental considerations that could be fatal in the light of harnessing of atomic power。 Intertwined with this conundrum is the question of foreign policy。 This book depicts the shortsightedness of the US government in its self-assumed leadership of the world。 Explored herein are prescient pathways to peace that were ignored if not buried by the American foreign policy war hawks。I have had this book on my shelf for many years。 But the announcement trailer for Nolan’s big screen adaptation of Oppenheimer’s life finally pushed me。 And I am grateful that I read it。。。。more A great journey through the life of an evolving man。 Oppenheimer went from troubled youth to prescient scientist to landmark leader， before facing a heartbreaking tumble through an inquest akin to Galileo’s trial。 This book offers a deep deep insight not only into the life of Dr Oppenheimer but also the various men of science of the time who are part of today’s lore。 Love how various life events of his life are weaves together。 The research behind this book is also a huge Herculean project the writers took。 Appreciate their hard work 😀 This is an incredible biography of one of the most important figures of the twentieth century。 Oppenheimer was a brilliant physicist who was central to the development of the atomic bomb during World War II。 However， he later realized the moral consequences of the rapidly developing science around nuclear power。 This is a very balanced biography， exposing Oppenheimer's fault lines while meticulously covering his personal and professional life in great detail。 This is an incredible biography of one of the most important figures of the twentieth century。 Oppenheimer was a brilliant physicist who was central to the development of the atomic bomb during World War II。 However， he later realized the moral consequences of the rapidly developing science around nuclear power。 This is a very balanced biography， exposing Oppenheimer's fault lines while meticulously covering his personal and professional life in great detail。。。。more Just superb。 more on the personality of the man rather than the science。 I was blown away by a few things about this:1。） The astounding intelligence of the men and women this book depicted。 I especially admired how well-spoken everyone was back then， in a culture where people wrote letters to each other， kept diary entries， and were able to talk at-length about the issues of the day。 I definitely felt inadequate reading about some of these people， but still， the example was inspiring。 I love the idea of a Renaissance man， and "Oppie" was nothing if not that。 It is in I was blown away by a few things about this:1。） The astounding intelligence of the men and women this book depicted。 I especially admired how well-spoken everyone was back then， in a culture where people wrote letters to each other， kept diary entries， and were able to talk at-length about the issues of the day。 I definitely felt inadequate reading about some of these people， but still， the example was inspiring。 I love the idea of a Renaissance man， and "Oppie" was nothing if not that。 It is interesting how much writing people do in their everyday lives now， through text messages， social media， or e-mails， but in the degradation of quality， since so little of it seems to have any sort of lasting permanence or value。2。） How applicable some of the political and social ramifications that were present in Cold War-era America， at a period when America was supposedly at its height as a global power， still are today。 I think it's always important to read history to know that the political squabbling and extremism we read about in the news now was also present throughout history （in varying forms of course）。 I also felt that the sort of close-mindedness that came to dominate the country in the Cold War period （especially in the Truman and Eisenhower administrations， at least from what I learned in the book） is still a part of this country， on both sides of the political spectrum。 3。） I appreciated the complexity and enigma that was at the heart of the biography's subject。 Robert （or "Oppie" is I would refer to him in my notes， for both simplicity's sake and because it seemed to fit him so well） was a person who kept his true feelings close to his chest。 I suspect only a few people were let in （I would imagine his wife or some of his lovers）。 I can relate to that aspect of only being able to open up to a few。 One of my absolute favorite quotes from the book came from one of my favorite side-characters （along with Niels Bohr）， Isidor Rabi。 He absolutely nailed the magnetic appeal of Oppenheimer， and what clearly attracted so many people to him: "He never expressed himself completely。 He always left a feeling that there were depths of sensibility and insight not yet revealed。" That was the ultimate feeling or sense I got of Oppenheimer's true nature--that there were all kinds of complexities in there， but that the public only got to see the roiling surface of a deep sea。 This is probably the first true biography I've ever read， and I was blown away。 I swear， I was highlighting half the book because of how many profound things that popped up at regular in this quite large book。 Some of the most beautiful and profound things were just quotes from all of the fascinating people contained within this story， which touched upon so many important parts of the twentieth century。 I'm looking forward to the movie， but I suspect it will be in large part a dumbing-down and simplifying of the true story。 I still really want to read Richard Rhodes's books about the atomic and hydrogen bombs。 And I can't wait to see Downey Jr。 play the hated Lewis Strauss！。。。more An absolutely brilliant biography。 I learned so much about Oppenheimer。 Excellent book about a brilliant man in extraordinary times。 Long book。 Good book。 References

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American Prometheus is the first full-scale biography of J。 Robert Oppenheimer， "father of the atomic bomb，" the brilliant， charismatic physicist who led the effort to capture the awesome fire of the sun for his country in time of war。 Immediately after Hiroshima， he became the most famous scientist of his generation-one of the iconic figures of the twentieth century， the embodiment of modern man confronting the consequences of scientific progress。

He was the author of a radical proposal to place international controls over atomic materials-an idea that is still relevant today。 He opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb and criticized the Air Force's plans to fight an infinitely dangerous nuclear war。 In the now almost-forgotten hysteria of the early 1950s， his ideas were anathema to powerful advocates of a massive nuclear buildup， and， in response， Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss， Superbomb advocate Edward Teller and FBI director J。 Edgar Hoover worked behind the scenes to have a hearing board find that Oppenheimer could not be trusted with America's nuclear secrets。
American Prometheus sets forth Oppenheimer's life and times in revealing and unprecedented detail。 Exhaustively researched， it is based on thousands of records and letters gathered from archives in America and abroad， on massive FBI files and on close to a hundred interviews with Oppenheimer's friends， relatives and colleagues。

We follow him from his earliest education at the turn of the twentieth century at New York City's Ethical Culture School， through personal crises at Harvard and Cambridge universities。 Then to Germany， where he studied quantum physics with the world's most accomplished theorists; and to Berkeley， California， where he established， during the 1930s， the leading American school of theoretical physics， and where he became deeply involved with social justice causes and their advocates， many of whom were communists。 Then to Los Alamos， New Mexico， where he transformed a bleak mesa into the world's most potent nuclear weapons laboratory-and where he himself was transformed。 And finally， to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton， which he directed from 1947 to 1966。

American Prometheus is a rich evocation of America at midcentury， a new and compelling portrait of a brilliant， ambitious， complex and flawed man profoundly connected to its major events—the Depression， World War II and the Cold War。 It is at once biography and history， and essential to our understanding of our recent past—and of our choices for the future。

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Adam ， 2022-10-21 00:00

Read this for college paper and it's actually pretty engaging。 Very comprehensive， but almost to a fault。 Dude's story is way more wild than I thought and I can't wait to what Chris Nolan does with this guy's life。 Read this for college paper and it's actually pretty engaging。 Very comprehensive， but almost to a fault。 Dude's story is way more wild than I thought and I can't wait to what Chris Nolan does with this guy's life。。。。more

Great， extremely in depth biography。 At times too detailed and bringing in way too many individuals accounts on an event but I quite enjoyed learning about Oppie。

R。 Montemayor ， 2022-10-20 00:00

"Now I am become death， the destroyer of worlds。” Robert Oppenheimer quoting the Bhagavad-Gita was the first thing I learned about the man who i idolized for a long time。 What fascinating man Oppenheimer was。 I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be so brilliant and yet so flawed。 He certainly thought very highly of himself and loved being adored。 The book was very good and very thorough， I’d say。 "Now I am become death， the destroyer of worlds。” Robert Oppenheimer quoting the Bhagavad-Gita was the first thing I learned about the man who i idolized for a long time。 What fascinating man Oppenheimer was。 I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be so brilliant and yet so flawed。 He certainly thought very highly of himself and loved being adored。 The book was very good and very thorough， I’d say。。。。more

Charlie Harrington ， 2022-10-16 00:00

An atomic-level portrait of Oppie’s rise and fall。 This is indeed a tragedy more so than a biography。 But the arrow of time is with science and liberal inquiry unless we do indeed destroy ourselves one way or another。

Kevin J ， 2022-10-16 00:00

Interesting book， well written， and very very detailed。 I'd prefer an edited version with about 50% less details but that's just me。 Still a great read。 Interesting book， well written， and very very detailed。 I'd prefer an edited version with about 50% less details but that's just me。 Still a great read。。。。more

Tyler Jared ， 2022-10-13 00:00

This was a fantastic book but I felt like I needed to give it three stars because everything was viewed through the lens Oppenheimers dalliances with the American Communist Party and various leftist movements。 The book does such a great job of portraying him as this towering intellectual and humanist， but them spends so much time focusing on the communist stuff that it really gets old。 I get that it played a large part in his downfall， but it felt like the really interesting aspects of the Manha This was a fantastic book but I felt like I needed to give it three stars because everything was viewed through the lens Oppenheimers dalliances with the American Communist Party and various leftist movements。 The book does such a great job of portraying him as this towering intellectual and humanist， but them spends so much time focusing on the communist stuff that it really gets old。 I get that it played a large part in his downfall， but it felt like the really interesting aspects of the Manhattan Project played second fiddle to whether or not Oppie was being spied on and by whom while he was there。 Still， good book and interesting person。。。。more

Jason Roth ， 2022-10-10 00:00

A thoroughly researched biography covering the entire life of a complex and fascinating physicist scientist and historical figure。 A hero to many and villain to some who got shredded by the sociopolitical machine that was the US government in the era of McCarthyism， despite the fact that the US would not have been able to start out and maintain top dog status for the subsequent arms race and cold war without him。 What I thought was particularly interesting was the evolution of his stance regardi A thoroughly researched biography covering the entire life of a complex and fascinating physicist scientist and historical figure。 A hero to many and villain to some who got shredded by the sociopolitical machine that was the US government in the era of McCarthyism， despite the fact that the US would not have been able to start out and maintain top dog status for the subsequent arms race and cold war without him。 What I thought was particularly interesting was the evolution of his stance regarding use of the same atomic weapons that he basically managed to invent from a theoretical pipe dream through to development and implementation。 Also fascinated （and frustrated） by the dichotomy of someone so obviously intelligent yet also naive for not having the foresight to understand the devastation his work would bring， how it would change the course of humanity， or that his status as a world renowned scientist would shield him from the radical yet rational opinions of his youth and prevent him from being dragged down by the vitriol of US politics later in his life。。。。more

Leif Paulson ， 2022-10-08 00:00

I was impressed with the sheer depth of Oppenheimer， scientist and philosopher。 His contributions at Los Alamos are to be remembered and cherished。 That said， it’s tough to view him as a hero given the womanizing。 The book mightily sagged post war and the authors insinuated that anyone to Oppenheimer’s right were politically amoral。 Next time， leave the politics out of it。

Erik Tanouye ， 2022-10-07 00:00

got this from the NYPL

David Cunnelly ， 2022-10-04 00:00

Interesting but far， far too long。

Jon ， 2022-10-01 00:00

Incredibly well researched and organized and very well written。 Definitely worth reading。

If you want an in-depth view into the opaque personality of Robert Oppenheimer， this is a very good book。 Its emphasis on the 1954 security clearance was a bit much for this non- historian， with its detailed recounting of the testimony， but a very clear picture emerges of the era of paranoid anti- communism and the individuals whose personal egos drove it。 A very good read。

Andreas ， 2022-09-20 00:00

I was a little worried that this 800-page book would be a little heavy， especially involving quantum physics and some of the most difficult philosophical dilemmas that humanity has ever had to grapple with。 Turns out that this was a true page-turner that I could not manage to put aside for more than a day。 J。 Robert Oppenheimer is a truly fascinating figure， and the development of nuclear weapons in this book gets the right treatment。 The context is very clearly set out， and all the dilemmas of I was a little worried that this 800-page book would be a little heavy， especially involving quantum physics and some of the most difficult philosophical dilemmas that humanity has ever had to grapple with。 Turns out that this was a true page-turner that I could not manage to put aside for more than a day。 J。 Robert Oppenheimer is a truly fascinating figure， and the development of nuclear weapons in this book gets the right treatment。 The context is very clearly set out， and all the dilemmas of the scientists involved are given consideration。 The bad guy in this book is politics， and because Truman is （after reading Keynes on Wilson） exposed as maybe not the sharpest knife in the drawer， serious doubts emerge as to the appropriateness of the American President as the glorious leader of the West。 A bonus feature of the book is the way you get to appreciate what certain procedures guaranteed by the rule of law are really for， and why they shouldn’t be brushed aside。。。。more

Jacob Bergeron ， 2022-09-18 00:00

A little too dense and detailed at times for my liking but overall an extremely comprehensive look at Oppenheimers life。 Starts off with his childhood and what made him the man he became with the morals that he did。 Fascinating insight into his process of making the bomb， well interwoven with his constant troubles due to his past exposure to communism。 By far the most fascinating part of the book was his security clearance hearing and how the deck was stacked against him

Eugenea Pollock ， 2022-09-10 00:00

tAs the winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Biography， this extensively researched book shines a light on the life of one of America’s most complex， brilliant， and persecuted public figures: the father of the atomic bomb， J。 Robert Oppenheimer。 The childhood and youth of a genius is rarely without challenges， and his was no exception。 A particularly brutal instance of bullying， which occurred at a summer camp， comes to mind in this regard。 Another challenge he faced as a college student was the tAs the winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Biography， this extensively researched book shines a light on the life of one of America’s most complex， brilliant， and persecuted public figures: the father of the atomic bomb， J。 Robert Oppenheimer。 The childhood and youth of a genius is rarely without challenges， and his was no exception。 A particularly brutal instance of bullying， which occurred at a summer camp， comes to mind in this regard。 Another challenge he faced as a college student was the decision of what to select as a major since he could excel in any number of fields。 For example， he was good at languages。 When he became interested in the Bhagavad Gita， he learned Sanskrit in order to read it in the original。 Ultimately， he chose theoretical physics， and his path was set which would lead inexorably to Trinity and beyond。tBy far， the most difficult and maddening part of the book， however， is the coverage of the 1954 congressional hearings by Senator Joseph McCarthy。 A number of Hollywood figures as well as atomic scientists were targeted， pilloried in the press， professionally skewered， and ruined by allegations of Communist connections dating back to the twenties and thirties。 Although never a party member， Oppenheimer was caught up in this for several reasons: loyalty to pink friends， financial donations to social justice causes， support for trade unions， etc。 He was liberal， and he was progressive。 But disloyal he was not。tI recommend this book and learned a lot。 But be advised， it is a BIG BOOK！t 。。。more

Spencer Bywater ， 2022-09-08 00:00

A very well-researched book about J。 Robert Oppenheimer， but I think ultimately what I really wanted from this book was a semi-detailed history of the atomic bomb。 While it does cover his experiences at Los Alamos during the time of WWII and his points of view on nuclear warfare， this book does not go into too much detail about the history around it and further developments by the US and other countries。 Overall a good book， but was expecting something a little different。

Pbloom ， 2022-09-08 00:00

Fascinating book about one of the most influential scientists in history。 I was surprised how relevant the history of Oppenheimer's rise and fall are to today's headlines。 I am very glad I read this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in science， the history of the atom bomb， the psychology of genius and the seeds that vicious political infighting sowed that are still playing out today。 The only reason I rated this four stars instead of 5 is because it is 721 pages long so you have Fascinating book about one of the most influential scientists in history。 I was surprised how relevant the history of Oppenheimer's rise and fall are to today's headlines。 I am very glad I read this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in science， the history of the atom bomb， the psychology of genius and the seeds that vicious political infighting sowed that are still playing out today。 The only reason I rated this four stars instead of 5 is because it is 721 pages long so you have to be really interested in the topic to stick with it。 I'm glad I did。。。。。。more

Carter ， 2022-09-05 00:00

“We knew the world would not be the same。”

Sara Sautter ， 2022-09-05 00:00

I will be thinking about this book for years。 The above is about the highest praise I can give a piece of writing。 Oppenheimer was a intelligent and complicated man who bore responsibility but no guilt for the humanity ending capability of the bomb he ushered into existence。 A brilliant scientist， lover of Proust and the Bagavad Gita， I would happily share a martini with him if it were possible。

Bailey Bridgewater ， 2022-09-04 00:00

Very detailed， very well researched， and very long。 I found the first half much more engaging than the second， which is surprising given how dramatic things got for Oppenheimer later in his life。 It's likely because the author gets so bogged down quoting transcripts and trying to explain political situations that the focus shifts off of the actual storytelling。 Prepare to keep track of a LOT of names。 Very detailed， very well researched， and very long。 I found the first half much more engaging than the second， which is surprising given how dramatic things got for Oppenheimer later in his life。 It's likely because the author gets so bogged down quoting transcripts and trying to explain political situations that the focus shifts off of the actual storytelling。 Prepare to keep track of a LOT of names。。。。more

Aditya आदित्य ， 2022-09-03 00:00

The Curious Case of Dr。 ManhattanStranger than fiction this biography is。On the eve of the Second World War， the allies expected Nazi Germany to invade Soviet Russia。 Hitler’s anti-bolshevik rhetoric and persecution of German communists was observed with bated breaths in the West。 They wished for war between their two enemies and hoped with considerable glee for an end of both the regimes。 Imagine their bewilderment when the secret negotiations between Ribbentrop and Molotov， the respective The Curious Case of Dr。 ManhattanStranger than fiction this biography is。On the eve of the Second World War， the allies expected Nazi Germany to invade Soviet Russia。 Hitler’s anti-bolshevik rhetoric and persecution of German communists was observed with bated breaths in the West。 They wished for war between their two enemies and hoped with considerable glee for an end of both the regimes。 Imagine their bewilderment when the secret negotiations between Ribbentrop and Molotov， the respective foreign ministers of Germany and USSR， bore fruit as the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact。Because of this unexpected development， not only rulers of Western Europe， but also communists all around the world were faced with discomfort and confusion。 The steady stream of anti-Nazi propaganda that they had published would have to be swallowed back。 Communists in India， supporting the British war effort up till now， did an about turn and started pressing for non-cooperation。 You see， the Nazis who were arch nemesis of the communists up till now had suddenly become allies。 A couple of years later when the peace treaty was terminated upon the German invasion of USSR， the communists all over the world flipped again， baying for blood of the Nazis once more。 This is quite understandable。 After all communism was not just an ideology。 It was an international conspiracy hatched in Moscow。 Of course its not as if all the communists all over the world were in on it。 Some were， well just gullible。 The flip-flop in the party line according to the relations between two foreign countries rubbed many party members the wrong way。 They got disillusioned and quit。 Oppenheimer was one such fellow traveller。 A supporter of the causes championed by the Communist Party of America since a tender age， he was never a formal member of the party， but he was a great sympathiser and a munificent contributor to its finances。 Never he would have imagined that his noble intentions would be the cause of misery and ignominy to him in the future。His contribution to the security apparatus and the ensuing world dominion of the USA remain unparalleled。 His biography， however， is not a mere eulogy。 It is a thick description of the complexities of his personality and its evolution throughout his lifetime。 Published several decades after his demise， the book is also a technical feat displaying the astute research of its Pulitzer Prize winning authors。 It must be noted that Martin Sherwin is a professor of history and it shows in the meticulous nature of this volume。 The book dwells deeply into the social， political and economic phenomena reflected in Robert Oppenheimer’s life。 A marvellous， enlightening and commendable read。However， this is not surprising in the least。 The subject of this book is as fantastic as a Greek myth。 Truly an American Prometheus。 A maverick， a genius， a polymath， a womaniser… Oppenheimer was immensely talented。 Apart from his discipline of Physics and his legendary role in the development of the atomic bomb， he was a man of the arts。 Fluent in multiple languages， Oppenheimer was a lover of literature， his own writings and speeches were as poetic as they were prophetic。 Upon reading this book one realises that he was meant for nothing but greatness。 I could continue singing his paeans but I have to stop。 As I said， this book is not a mere eulogy。 Of the many themes explored in this， the role and position of science， stands apart。 The relationship of science with statecraft is reflected in Oppenheimer’s career as a scientist。 He himself struggled to negotiate the correct designation of science as a consultant to the US government。 Is science a tool in the hands of the state and thereby the military？ Or is it the guiding light for the whole of humanity？ These are fundamental considerations that could be fatal in the light of harnessing of atomic power。 Intertwined with this conundrum is the question of foreign policy。 This book depicts the shortsightedness of the US government in its self-assumed leadership of the world。 Explored herein are prescient pathways to peace that were ignored if not buried by the American foreign policy war hawks。I have had this book on my shelf for many years。 But the announcement trailer for Nolan’s big screen adaptation of Oppenheimer’s life finally pushed me。 And I am grateful that I read it。。。。more

Kyle Moser ， 2022-08-31 00:00

A great journey through the life of an evolving man。 Oppenheimer went from troubled youth to prescient scientist to landmark leader， before facing a heartbreaking tumble through an inquest akin to Galileo’s trial。

Vimal Chhadva ， 2022-08-28 00:00

This book offers a deep deep insight not only into the life of Dr Oppenheimer but also the various men of science of the time who are part of today’s lore。 Love how various life events of his life are weaves together。 The research behind this book is also a huge Herculean project the writers took。 Appreciate their hard work 😀

Jeffrey Denman ， 2022-08-25 00:00

This is an incredible biography of one of the most important figures of the twentieth century。 Oppenheimer was a brilliant physicist who was central to the development of the atomic bomb during World War II。 However， he later realized the moral consequences of the rapidly developing science around nuclear power。 This is a very balanced biography， exposing Oppenheimer's fault lines while meticulously covering his personal and professional life in great detail。 This is an incredible biography of one of the most important figures of the twentieth century。 Oppenheimer was a brilliant physicist who was central to the development of the atomic bomb during World War II。 However， he later realized the moral consequences of the rapidly developing science around nuclear power。 This is a very balanced biography， exposing Oppenheimer's fault lines while meticulously covering his personal and professional life in great detail。。。。more

Alastair Broadley ， 2022-08-18 00:00

Just superb。

Raffy Martinez ， 2022-08-14 00:00

more on the personality of the man rather than the science。

Edward Chamberlin ， 2022-08-13 00:00

I was blown away by a few things about this:1。） The astounding intelligence of the men and women this book depicted。 I especially admired how well-spoken everyone was back then， in a culture where people wrote letters to each other， kept diary entries， and were able to talk at-length about the issues of the day。 I definitely felt inadequate reading about some of these people， but still， the example was inspiring。 I love the idea of a Renaissance man， and "Oppie" was nothing if not that。 It is in I was blown away by a few things about this:1。） The astounding intelligence of the men and women this book depicted。 I especially admired how well-spoken everyone was back then， in a culture where people wrote letters to each other， kept diary entries， and were able to talk at-length about the issues of the day。 I definitely felt inadequate reading about some of these people， but still， the example was inspiring。 I love the idea of a Renaissance man， and "Oppie" was nothing if not that。 It is interesting how much writing people do in their everyday lives now， through text messages， social media， or e-mails， but in the degradation of quality， since so little of it seems to have any sort of lasting permanence or value。2。） How applicable some of the political and social ramifications that were present in Cold War-era America， at a period when America was supposedly at its height as a global power， still are today。 I think it's always important to read history to know that the political squabbling and extremism we read about in the news now was also present throughout history （in varying forms of course）。 I also felt that the sort of close-mindedness that came to dominate the country in the Cold War period （especially in the Truman and Eisenhower administrations， at least from what I learned in the book） is still a part of this country， on both sides of the political spectrum。 3。） I appreciated the complexity and enigma that was at the heart of the biography's subject。 Robert （or "Oppie" is I would refer to him in my notes， for both simplicity's sake and because it seemed to fit him so well） was a person who kept his true feelings close to his chest。 I suspect only a few people were let in （I would imagine his wife or some of his lovers）。 I can relate to that aspect of only being able to open up to a few。 One of my absolute favorite quotes from the book came from one of my favorite side-characters （along with Niels Bohr）， Isidor Rabi。 He absolutely nailed the magnetic appeal of Oppenheimer， and what clearly attracted so many people to him: "He never expressed himself completely。 He always left a feeling that there were depths of sensibility and insight not yet revealed。" That was the ultimate feeling or sense I got of Oppenheimer's true nature--that there were all kinds of complexities in there， but that the public only got to see the roiling surface of a deep sea。 This is probably the first true biography I've ever read， and I was blown away。 I swear， I was highlighting half the book because of how many profound things that popped up at regular in this quite large book。 Some of the most beautiful and profound things were just quotes from all of the fascinating people contained within this story， which touched upon so many important parts of the twentieth century。 I'm looking forward to the movie， but I suspect it will be in large part a dumbing-down and simplifying of the true story。 I still really want to read Richard Rhodes's books about the atomic and hydrogen bombs。 And I can't wait to see Downey Jr。 play the hated Lewis Strauss！。。。more

Ben Rockey ， 2022-08-12 00:00

An absolutely brilliant biography。 I learned so much about Oppenheimer。

Renrel77 ， 2022-08-11 00:00

Excellent book about a brilliant man in extraordinary times。

Rene Miller ， 2022-08-11 00:00