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1.63k reviews for:
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Martin J. Sherwin, Kai Bird
4.33 AVERAGE
1.63k reviews for:
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Martin J. Sherwin, Kai Bird
4.33 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Really really good. A couple of sections that were just loooong and I got bored. Incredible insight and research though!!!
Didn't enjoy the narration and there were some strange issues with the audio. The pace of the book was too slow.
The first time I was made aware of Oppenheimer was when reading the memoirs of another great physicist, Richard Feynman, 'Surely You're Joking Mr.Feynman.' Feynman merely remarks on how accommodating Oppenheimer was of Feynman's ailing wife, Arline during the Manhattan Project.
The next such introduction to Oppenheimer that stands out to me in my memory was when reading Dirac's biography 'The Strangest Man' when Oppenheimer's 'Blackett incident' is spoken of. Oppenheimer, for a variety of reasons the full gamut of which is perhaps only known to him, is in a state of severe internal anguish during his year as a graduate student in Cambridge. He is then alleged to have poisoned an apple of Patrick Blackett, his head tutor at Cambridge. Of course, the story is muddied and the truth is now lost to us. But this piqued my interest. We all love drama. Here was a physicist who despite being such a nervous wreck during his days in Cambridge went on to lead the congregation of some of the greatest minds in physics of the time at Los Alamos as part of the Manhattan Project. I knew he would have a rich inner life.
And 'American Prometheus' does not disappoint. The portrayal of Robert Oppenheimer is done masterfully. One can tell the authors' adoration and admiration for "Oppie" as they try to probe and provide hints to the complex inner life of this great man. They appear apologetic for his mistakes, proud of his achievements, and unashamedly spiteful of his enemies. I was repeatedly charmed and moved by the faint glimmer of this man, visible through the pages of a book read more than half a century after his death. It is not a mere compendium of the facts of his life.
The book does cover more of Oppenheimer the semi-statesman than Oppenheimer the scientist. If there ever was a black mark on the book it would be that. But, all things considered, a compelling read from start to finish.
The next such introduction to Oppenheimer that stands out to me in my memory was when reading Dirac's biography 'The Strangest Man' when Oppenheimer's 'Blackett incident' is spoken of. Oppenheimer, for a variety of reasons the full gamut of which is perhaps only known to him, is in a state of severe internal anguish during his year as a graduate student in Cambridge. He is then alleged to have poisoned an apple of Patrick Blackett, his head tutor at Cambridge. Of course, the story is muddied and the truth is now lost to us. But this piqued my interest. We all love drama. Here was a physicist who despite being such a nervous wreck during his days in Cambridge went on to lead the congregation of some of the greatest minds in physics of the time at Los Alamos as part of the Manhattan Project. I knew he would have a rich inner life.
And 'American Prometheus' does not disappoint. The portrayal of Robert Oppenheimer is done masterfully. One can tell the authors' adoration and admiration for "Oppie" as they try to probe and provide hints to the complex inner life of this great man. They appear apologetic for his mistakes, proud of his achievements, and unashamedly spiteful of his enemies. I was repeatedly charmed and moved by the faint glimmer of this man, visible through the pages of a book read more than half a century after his death. It is not a mere compendium of the facts of his life.
The book does cover more of Oppenheimer the semi-statesman than Oppenheimer the scientist. If there ever was a black mark on the book it would be that. But, all things considered, a compelling read from start to finish.
Read this book.
I close read this book at speed. Though I’ve been lately on a string of excellent books, it’s been a while since a book has gripped me, and held me, and pulled me over the edge such as this. What the book lacks is not so different from what I find also in wrestle of my own mind. So much to say about this book that I won’t. Except to say, read this book.
I close read this book at speed. Though I’ve been lately on a string of excellent books, it’s been a while since a book has gripped me, and held me, and pulled me over the edge such as this. What the book lacks is not so different from what I find also in wrestle of my own mind. So much to say about this book that I won’t. Except to say, read this book.
DNF 32%
My loan expired and I chose not to renew. As fascinating as Oppenheimer was/is, I was just not in the headspace for such a cumbersome biography I guess!
My loan expired and I chose not to renew. As fascinating as Oppenheimer was/is, I was just not in the headspace for such a cumbersome biography I guess!
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
A bit out of my regular wheelhouse, but I’m glad I read it all the same. Spectacularly informative and interesting.
I really really liked this but after taking a break from the audiobook over the holidays, it was really hard to convince myself to pick it back up lol
3.5 rounded up.
This was a very detailed, insightful book--maybe too detailed? I was getting pretty tired of reading about the Chevalier Affair by the end of the book. I also felt like it had a lot of ups and downs. Part 1 was super fascinating--I love reading about people's upbringings. Parts 2 and 4 just had too much communism. I know, that's the main theme of the book. But wow--so much communism. Part 3 was very interesting to me for personal reasons, and Part 5 was decently interesting, but I was ready for the book to be done.
Anyway, learned a lot, hope the movie doesn't include all the communism.
This was a very detailed, insightful book--maybe too detailed? I was getting pretty tired of reading about the Chevalier Affair by the end of the book. I also felt like it had a lot of ups and downs. Part 1 was super fascinating--I love reading about people's upbringings. Parts 2 and 4 just had too much communism. I know, that's the main theme of the book. But wow--so much communism. Part 3 was very interesting to me for personal reasons, and Part 5 was decently interesting, but I was ready for the book to be done.
Anyway, learned a lot, hope the movie doesn't include all the communism.