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Available
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Publication
Blackstone Audio, Inc. (2007)
Description
Biography & Autobiography. History. Nonfiction. HTML:THE INSPIRATION FOR THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE OPPENHEIMER �?� "A riveting account of one of history�??s most essential and paradoxical figures.�?��??Christopher Nolan, Director NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� PULITZER PRIZE WINNER �?� The definitive biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the iconic figures of the twentieth century, a brilliant physicist who led the effort to build the atomic bomb for his country in a time of war, and who later found himself confronting the moral consequences of scientific progress. In this magisterial, acclaimed biography twenty-five years in the making, Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin capture Oppenheimer�??s life and times, from his early career to his central role in the Cold War. This is biography and history at its finest, riveting and deeply informative. �??A masterful account of Oppenheimer�??s rise and fall, set in the context of the turbulent decades of America�??s own transformation. It is a tour de force.�?� �??Los Angeles Times Book Review �??A work of voluminous scholarship and lucid insight, unifying its multifaceted portrait with a keen grasp of Oppenheimer�??s essential nature.... It succeeds in deeply fathoming his most damaging, self-contradictory… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member LynnB
I managed to find this book fascinating and way too long. It was very well researched but lack a strong narrative arc to hold all the detail together. That said, I'm glad I stuck with it because it gave me insights into the way the scientists working on the atomic bomb deal with the moral issues
Bottom line: worth reading and provides food for thought.
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surrounding the rise of nuclear weapons. The book also provides a sobering reminder of government power left unchecked. I only wish there had been more about Mr. Oppenheimer's visit to Japan. It must have had some impact on him, and likely raised some controversy in Japan???Bottom line: worth reading and provides food for thought.
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LibraryThing member HadriantheBlind
I'm in a daze after reading this. The brilliance, naivete, and guilt of this man - it is unimaginable. How can it even be comprehended?
LibraryThing member hcubic
I am old enough to remember the 1954 hearings in the matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer, but I was too young to understand that there was more to this story about a supposed Communist in the nuclear weapons program than was being reported in the Los Angeles newspapers of the time. Much later I read
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Philip Stern's 1969 book, The Oppenheimer Case: Security on Trial and even the Atomic Energy Commission's transcript of the hearings, a tome of over 1000 pages that one once could buy from the US Government Printing Office (no longer available). Focusing as they did on only the tragic end of his career in the AEC, I did not understand the connection between the trial and the rest of the career of this charismatic genius, known to chemists for the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. Now comes American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, an insightful and engaging, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning biography. This book is written so well that you feel as if you come to know its subject - a complicated and troubled soul. The man that emerges is not simply the opponent of the development of fusion weapons, the advocate against secrecy that appeared on Edward R. Murrow's "See It Now" television program, or the captain of the Manhattan Project. He is very human in American Prometheus, which is recently available in a paperback edition. Show Less
LibraryThing member yooperprof
aka "An American Tragedy" - biography at its best, melded with social and political history. Particularly notable for the sense of place conveyed through detailed description of cultural environments: cultured intellectual New York in the 1910s; alternative New Mexico in the 1930s; progressive San
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Francisco in the early 1940s; Los Alamos; academic Princeton in the 1950s. Show Less
LibraryThing member iammbb
I'm at a bit of a loss to explain my reaction to this book.
Perhaps, it's due in part to reading it immediately after the rather weak 109 East Palace.
Perhaps, it's due simply to how well done it is.
All I know is that I recommend it. Highly.
American Prometheus is a 784 page paperback book that
The reader is treated to a clearheaded depiction of a compelling man, one which makes no bones about his flaws while at the same time celebrating his triumphs. The book delves into Oppenheimer's life from start to finish and provides the reader with a perceptive perspective on his motivations.
The section on the Gray Board hearings and the concomitant government abuses which culminated with Oppenheimer's loss of his security clearance is eerily reminiscent of the government misdeeds during the Watergate era (in the news recently due to the death of Mark Felt) and the more recent attack on civil liberties which we have suffered through under the current administration.
Perhaps, it's due in part to reading it immediately after the rather weak 109 East Palace.
Perhaps, it's due simply to how well done it is.
All I know is that I recommend it. Highly.
American Prometheus is a 784 page paperback book that
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despite its length is never dense. In crafting their biography, the authors wisely made the decision not to get weighed down with the science that played such a central role in the protagonist's life.The reader is treated to a clearheaded depiction of a compelling man, one which makes no bones about his flaws while at the same time celebrating his triumphs. The book delves into Oppenheimer's life from start to finish and provides the reader with a perceptive perspective on his motivations.
The section on the Gray Board hearings and the concomitant government abuses which culminated with Oppenheimer's loss of his security clearance is eerily reminiscent of the government misdeeds during the Watergate era (in the news recently due to the death of Mark Felt) and the more recent attack on civil liberties which we have suffered through under the current administration.
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LibraryThing member Clif
A well written biography about an interesting person. It also gives insight into the anti-communist hysteria of the early 50s.
Read in June, 2007
Read in June, 2007
LibraryThing member austinbarnes
A good pick for our first book club, I thought. Provoked a lot of discussion. Oppenheimer lead a fascinating life, and the authors did a great job telling his story.
LibraryThing member tredegartrafalgar
Superb character analysis, genius, warts and all
LibraryThing member Radaghast
The best biography I've ever read. This isn't just about Oppenheimer, though you will get plenty of information about him. This is the story of physics and physicists. This is a story about the time in history where the citizen scientist was a real force. This is about the very real threat of
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Communism and the very real misapplication of that threat. It is a story about a scientist who helped mankind figure out how to destroy itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member buffalogr
Great biography about the life and times of one of Americas heroes. Also a good narrative of the 1930-1950s. I was especially taken by the discussions of his connection to New Mexico; Los Alamos and Perro Caliente. Finally, the witch hunt AEC "security investigation" of 1954 was an illumination of
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the search for communists and the destruction of scientific achievement by the political apparatus. Show Less
LibraryThing member orderflow
A bit slow in some places, but very thorough and insightful.
LibraryThing member rivkat
Oppenheimer was a privileged, awkward prodigy who grew into a privileged, awkward scientific star. Devoted husband to a troubled wife, adulterer, distant parent, devoted friend, capable of great charm and great vitriol and using the latter instead of the former at the worst possible moments, he was
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clearly a complex figure. He comes off in the book as more amanuensis than self-sufficient scientist, capable of generating great ideas but not interested in working them through, able to see (and show other people) the greatest potential in others’ scientific ideas even though his own individual scientific contributions may not have been as striking. Initially an idea man, he made himself into an excellent administrator at Los Alamos apparently just by realizing that he was in charge now and that it needed to be done. Hailed as the father of the atomic bomb, he then began to worry about its implications (though while opposing the hydrogen bomb he became a serious advocate of strategic nuclear bombing on the battlefield, so he wasn’t exactly a purist), and this as well as his lefty history, combined with his habit of making politically powerful enemies, led to the humiliation of having his security clearance revoked at the height of the anticommunist hysteria of the 1950s. It’s a fascinating story of a contradictory man across a tumultuous period in American society. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
Yet another book that makes you sick over the long and evil reign of J. Edgar Hoover. In this instance, Hoover is aided and abetted by the viciousness of Lewis Strauss, who never could forgive Oppenheimer for snubbing him in public. The authors explore Oppenheimer's life, all the while trying to
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figure out how he could have such "quickness of mind, amazing ability to synthesize ideas, and enormous gifts and capacities of every kind" and yet be "defenseless on the stand." (quotes from 109 East Palace recounting I.I. Rabi's frustration with Oppenheimer's failure to stand up to his persecutors.) It's a sad book, albeit fascinating, and ultimately one agrees with Rabi that "Oppenheimer was a man who was put together of many bright shining splinters." (JAF) Show Less
LibraryThing member ksmyth
This definitive life of J. Robert Oppenheimer follows his brilliant career in theoretical physics, and his leadership of the atomic bomb effort at Los Alamos. Sherwin and Bird paint an interesting portrait of Oppie as a man of passion-supporting the Depression era efforts of the American Communist
The story continues as Oppenheimer did his best to corral the American impulse to launch into a bomb-building race to insure an atomic monopoly. Seeking to derail the research into the development of the hydrogen bomb, internationalize the control of fissionable materials, and defuse a coming, dangerous nuclear arms race. The second half of the story is about Oppenheimer's conflicts with an increasingly conservative, anti-Communist bureaucracy, and supporters of the newly powerful Senator Joseph McCarthy. The withdrawal of his security clearance in 1954, through an incredibly unfair process, marks the end of scientists involved in the public policy process, and the beginning of the flight of scientists to corporate interests that became integral to the military/industrial complex.
Not a short read, but well written, a narrative that doesn't bog down.
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party to aid Spanish Civil War refugees and other Popular Front activities--as well as patriot, clearly supporting the efforts of the United States to develop a weapon that could win the war. Working with the military and its invasive security apparatus while providing the leadership to solve the technical problems facing the Los Alamos scientists, the Trinity test of July 1945, and the atomic bombings of Japan were Oppenheimer's triumph. The story continues as Oppenheimer did his best to corral the American impulse to launch into a bomb-building race to insure an atomic monopoly. Seeking to derail the research into the development of the hydrogen bomb, internationalize the control of fissionable materials, and defuse a coming, dangerous nuclear arms race. The second half of the story is about Oppenheimer's conflicts with an increasingly conservative, anti-Communist bureaucracy, and supporters of the newly powerful Senator Joseph McCarthy. The withdrawal of his security clearance in 1954, through an incredibly unfair process, marks the end of scientists involved in the public policy process, and the beginning of the flight of scientists to corporate interests that became integral to the military/industrial complex.
Not a short read, but well written, a narrative that doesn't bog down.
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LibraryThing member figre
This is an incredibly detailed book. At 700+ pages (including notes, bibliography, and index) that is no surprise. And, at times, I felt there was too much detail. And yet, this is a complicated story; leaving out those details may well have made for a story less than fully told. But, did it all
That previous paragraph has a lot of "and yets" and "howevers." And, I am really getting ahead of myself by jumping into that particular part of the story. So let's go to a longer than normal synopsis of the story.
This book follows Oppenheimer from birth to death. It lays out his early learning experiences in a rather avant garde school in New York. It then discusses the turbulent life he had as he got his bearings in college. Here we begin to see just how troubled an individual he was. There is a sudden transformation (one the author spends some time trying – unsuccessfully – to explain; but that is probably because no real explanation exists) and Oppenheimer begins to explore the world of physics. But aspects of those problems can be seen throughout his life.
The book then goes into his academic career and his role in the expanding understanding of quantum physics. As Oppenheimer's prominence grows, so does his activity in the social arena. (Some of this can be traced all the way back to that school in New York.) In the time before WWII, this meant support of unions and an increasing fear of European fascism. This also meant involvement at various levels with the fledgling Communist Party. (As noted above, it is at this point where the book slows down.) Oppenheimer was associated with many organizations that had ties with the Party. He also had friends who were with the Party. But there was no evidence he was ever a member, and he quickly learned that the promise he felt lay within Communism would never come to fruition.
And then he became an important part of the war effort as he was called to pull together and head the team developing the atom bomb in Los Alamos. On a personal level, this was the part I found most interesting as it married the expanding discoveries within the field of physics with the incredible effort it took to develop the bomb. (And I'm for any book that mentions Feynman.) As the bomb is coming to completion, the book does an excellent job of outlining the questionable action of actually using the bomb, laying out the case that the war had already been won and that dropping the bomb on Japan had more to do with keeping Russia out than anything else.
Once the bomb is dropped, the book quickly moves to Oppenheimer's efforts to keep an arms race from occurring. In the process, he makes political enemies. And here the book once more delves into the details of the investigations into Oppenheimer, the various interpretations of Oppenheimer's history, and the actions taken by the government. It is a sad and sobering portion of the book reminding everyone about government gone unchecked. And it must be remembered that his is only one of many stories from that period.
The book goes into great detail about the hearing to maintain Oppenheimer's clearance in the 50s. But this is important as it is, effectively, a trial about his patriotism. The detail is well-founded (and the payoff for all that previous detail that still seems a bit much.) In the end, his clearance is not granted. But the loss of a battle is not the loss of a war, and the decision on Oppenheimer was one of many situations that led the public to recognize that the government, in various guises, had gone too far.
The book ends with a discussion of the additional work Oppenheimer did, the awards he won, and his final days on a tropical island. Perhaps the most depressing part of the book is what occurred after he died. Throughout the book the author lays the foundation that the family, at best, was dysfunctional. And the history of the family members after Oppenheimer's passing only serves to prove that point.
One thing we have to remember as we read through the book is that we are hearing one person's interpretation of the facts that are Oppenheimer's life. Yes, it is incredibly well researched; but it still remains one person's (well-supported) opinion. (And a detailed examination requires a much more emphatic warning; it is easy to forget that a lot of information does not necessarily result in a correct conclusion.) Throughout, the reader is told that, in spite of some naive and questionable actions, Oppenheimer was a man with good intentions. And I don't doubt he was. But, what kept going through my mind was, given he was a genius, do we, as we observe him, not see how he was actually playing some of the people in his life? Was he really naive? Or did he, in some instances, understand exactly what he was doing, the perception he was giving, and how to use those reactions to get what he wanted?
But that is a quibble into the details of interpretation. Because it is apparent that this is the story of a genius who made significant changes to our understanding of the world. He was instrumental in changing the foundations of physics and quantum mechanics. He was a part of one of the most important (and sometimes questionable) projects in American history. He had a role in the destruction of civilians that he seems to have come to grips with, and yet there is evidence of, if not guilt, at least a negative ambivalence about what happened. And it is a man who became a symbol of all that was wrong with the US approach to fears about Communism.
It is a good book that, generally, reads easily. (As noted, some of the details bog the story down. It is really hard to tell one potential red from the other without a scorecard.) The life Oppenheimer led is fascinating, and the results of that life, as told in this book, are profound on various levels.
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need to be told? In particular, the details of Oppenheimer's experience with the Communist party before WWII seem to go on forever. However, those details bear fruit much later in the book as it describes the attack against Oppenheimer during the height of McCarthyism and the Red Scare.That previous paragraph has a lot of "and yets" and "howevers." And, I am really getting ahead of myself by jumping into that particular part of the story. So let's go to a longer than normal synopsis of the story.
This book follows Oppenheimer from birth to death. It lays out his early learning experiences in a rather avant garde school in New York. It then discusses the turbulent life he had as he got his bearings in college. Here we begin to see just how troubled an individual he was. There is a sudden transformation (one the author spends some time trying – unsuccessfully – to explain; but that is probably because no real explanation exists) and Oppenheimer begins to explore the world of physics. But aspects of those problems can be seen throughout his life.
The book then goes into his academic career and his role in the expanding understanding of quantum physics. As Oppenheimer's prominence grows, so does his activity in the social arena. (Some of this can be traced all the way back to that school in New York.) In the time before WWII, this meant support of unions and an increasing fear of European fascism. This also meant involvement at various levels with the fledgling Communist Party. (As noted above, it is at this point where the book slows down.) Oppenheimer was associated with many organizations that had ties with the Party. He also had friends who were with the Party. But there was no evidence he was ever a member, and he quickly learned that the promise he felt lay within Communism would never come to fruition.
And then he became an important part of the war effort as he was called to pull together and head the team developing the atom bomb in Los Alamos. On a personal level, this was the part I found most interesting as it married the expanding discoveries within the field of physics with the incredible effort it took to develop the bomb. (And I'm for any book that mentions Feynman.) As the bomb is coming to completion, the book does an excellent job of outlining the questionable action of actually using the bomb, laying out the case that the war had already been won and that dropping the bomb on Japan had more to do with keeping Russia out than anything else.
Once the bomb is dropped, the book quickly moves to Oppenheimer's efforts to keep an arms race from occurring. In the process, he makes political enemies. And here the book once more delves into the details of the investigations into Oppenheimer, the various interpretations of Oppenheimer's history, and the actions taken by the government. It is a sad and sobering portion of the book reminding everyone about government gone unchecked. And it must be remembered that his is only one of many stories from that period.
The book goes into great detail about the hearing to maintain Oppenheimer's clearance in the 50s. But this is important as it is, effectively, a trial about his patriotism. The detail is well-founded (and the payoff for all that previous detail that still seems a bit much.) In the end, his clearance is not granted. But the loss of a battle is not the loss of a war, and the decision on Oppenheimer was one of many situations that led the public to recognize that the government, in various guises, had gone too far.
The book ends with a discussion of the additional work Oppenheimer did, the awards he won, and his final days on a tropical island. Perhaps the most depressing part of the book is what occurred after he died. Throughout the book the author lays the foundation that the family, at best, was dysfunctional. And the history of the family members after Oppenheimer's passing only serves to prove that point.
One thing we have to remember as we read through the book is that we are hearing one person's interpretation of the facts that are Oppenheimer's life. Yes, it is incredibly well researched; but it still remains one person's (well-supported) opinion. (And a detailed examination requires a much more emphatic warning; it is easy to forget that a lot of information does not necessarily result in a correct conclusion.) Throughout, the reader is told that, in spite of some naive and questionable actions, Oppenheimer was a man with good intentions. And I don't doubt he was. But, what kept going through my mind was, given he was a genius, do we, as we observe him, not see how he was actually playing some of the people in his life? Was he really naive? Or did he, in some instances, understand exactly what he was doing, the perception he was giving, and how to use those reactions to get what he wanted?
But that is a quibble into the details of interpretation. Because it is apparent that this is the story of a genius who made significant changes to our understanding of the world. He was instrumental in changing the foundations of physics and quantum mechanics. He was a part of one of the most important (and sometimes questionable) projects in American history. He had a role in the destruction of civilians that he seems to have come to grips with, and yet there is evidence of, if not guilt, at least a negative ambivalence about what happened. And it is a man who became a symbol of all that was wrong with the US approach to fears about Communism.
It is a good book that, generally, reads easily. (As noted, some of the details bog the story down. It is really hard to tell one potential red from the other without a scorecard.) The life Oppenheimer led is fascinating, and the results of that life, as told in this book, are profound on various levels.
Show Less
LibraryThing member klburnside
I thought Oppenheimer sounded like an interesting fellow, so I figured I would give this book a try. It is incredibly detailed and well researched and I can see why it won the Pulitzer Prize. I realized about 50 pages in that I wasn't all that interested in Oppenheimer after all, but for some
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reason I continued reading for another 500 pages. I know being accused of being a communist was a big deal back then, but I got a little overwhelmed and bored with all the chapters discussing Oppenheimer's ties to communism. I didn't enjoy the book much, it was too long for my tastes, but recognizing it is a well researched book, I will give it three stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member nmele
I have wanted to read this biography of Oppenheimer since reading reviews when it was first published a few years ago. Bird and Sherwin have written a readable, comprehensive biography of a complex and important figure. Their book helped me understand Oppenheimer better, but it also helped me
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understand the difficult moral questions scientists faced as they tried to deal with the advent of nuclear weapons. An excellent book! Show Less
LibraryThing member Mikalina
The real tragedy is not hidden in J. Robert Oppenheimer´s life - because he took a responsible stand once he understood and atoned for his errors by spreading intelligence about what nuclear weapons can do to us, our plantet, civilization.
The real tragedy it is ours, hidden in our inability to
The real tragedy it is ours, hidden in our inability to
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listen to his story: The atomic bomb, nuclear weapons are not part of any solution to any human problem. Too many of us still choose leaders that nurse the thought. The tragedy of the common man is that he does not understand that we are uncommonly forceful - and enjoys uncommonly common sense that crosses borders, race and language. We do not have to agree on everything, but we can agree on not having the atomic bomb as a part of the solution: If we turn our backs collectively to the use of the atomic bomb, no industrialist or leader can do anything but to abide by it. Show Less
LibraryThing member sarahlh
A powerful and expertly researched biography of Robert Oppenheimer. Possibly the definitive biography of Oppie to date. AMERICAN PROMETHEUS is a very thorough study and the footnotes are legit. It gives a lot of crucial insight into a complicated, complex historical figure. It's a thick book but it
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reads so well, you'll barely notice it's over 700 pages. I highly recommend reading this alongside a book like 109 EAST PALACE for more context to the Los Alamos section of Oppenheimer's life. Show Less
LibraryThing member mahsdad
This biography of J Robert Oppenheimer and was the basis/inspiration for the Nolan movie that's out now. It was a very good listen. Its not a very sciency book, it deals with the war and the bomb development, but its not a physics textbook. It was really interesting listening to his life before the
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war and his liberal and communistic leanings. At the time (after WWI and during the Depression), a lot of young people were looking for ways to improve their lives. After the war, his past came back to haunt him. While he was never a part of the Communist Party, the Industrial Military Complex and the powerful men who ran things wanted to continue the development of more and more powerful nuclear weapons and when Oppenheimer apposed what they were doing, they pushed him out. He wasn't a perfect man, and this points out his faults, but the world, for good or for bad, would not be the same without him. Show Less
LibraryThing member Romonko
Too dry and boring. DNF
LibraryThing member csayban
A thorough examination of a complex person during extraordinary times. American Prometheus is both a fascinating exploration of J. Robert Oppenheimer and a cautionary tail of how choices can have unexpected and destructive consequences. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member flippinpages
Well written, engaging story. Also an extremely tough read if you have no understanding of physics. I read a review on another site that said this was written for the lay person. I disagree. I struggled to let go of my neurotic need to understand every word written to enjoy this book. The physics
On a side note this is most definitely a hagiography. The respect the authors have for Oppenheimer is well deserved, I agree with that. The author's spin on a few things didn't sit well with me. Not that anything Oppenheimer did was terrible, after all he was human, I just didn't like the authors pushing the reader to see everything in a positive light.
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was just beyond me. In fairness to the authors I also have zero interest in physics so I'm sure that didn't help, but I did try. Once beyond Oppenheimer's education and into the cold war and politics of the time I found it much more enjoyable. Still, not a light read by any means. To sum it up, science and politics. I think a reader needs some interest in one or both to get through this one.On a side note this is most definitely a hagiography. The respect the authors have for Oppenheimer is well deserved, I agree with that. The author's spin on a few things didn't sit well with me. Not that anything Oppenheimer did was terrible, after all he was human, I just didn't like the authors pushing the reader to see everything in a positive light.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
I finished this just in time for the Oscars. It’s the basis of the best picture winner “Oppenheimer” & I loved seeing the way the book was adapted to become a film. This is a long in-depth biography, but he was a complicated man. It was also a perfect nonfiction read for New Mexico. The
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authors did an excellent job diving into the history of the making of the atomic bomb and Oppenheimer’s role in the saga. I wouldn’t read it again but it was good. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Pulitzer Prize (Winner — 2006)
National Book Critics Circle Award (Finalist — Biography — 2005)
Ambassador Book Award (Winner — Biography/Autobiography — 2006)
Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize (Winner — 2008)
J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize (Finalist — 2006)
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (Biography — 2005)
San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction — 2005)
Booklist Top of the List: Best of Editors' Choice (Adult Nonfiction — 2005)
Time Magazine's Best Books of the Year (Nonfiction — 2005)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2005