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1.64k reviews for:
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Martin J. Sherwin, Kai Bird
4.33 AVERAGE
1.64k reviews for:
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Martin J. Sherwin, Kai Bird
4.33 AVERAGE
Started listening to the audiobook for this soon after seeing Oppenheimer. I adored that film, and am generally interested in history, and in science, so the book seemed right up my alley. I took my time getting through it, but I thoroughly enjoyed my listen. The movie was a thriller, and the book is not, but I was surprised at how "book-accurate" I felt the movie to be after listening to the book.
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Very informative. A bit dry in places, but appropriate for the topic.
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
This is an epic biography, and worth the read if you’re into that or into Oppenheimer specifically. But:
(1) if you’re not into excruciatingly detailed biography, this probably isn’t for you; and
(2) if you want to learn about the bomb (including the broader cultural and scientific forces that shaped its creation) “The Making of the Atomic Bomb” is muuuuuuuuuuch better: it provides vast amounts of important context that are lacking here. That’s not necessarily a critique of this book (it is, after all, a biography of Oppenheimer and not the bomb), just a recommendation of where to start if that’s your interest.
(1) if you’re not into excruciatingly detailed biography, this probably isn’t for you; and
(2) if you want to learn about the bomb (including the broader cultural and scientific forces that shaped its creation) “The Making of the Atomic Bomb” is muuuuuuuuuuch better: it provides vast amounts of important context that are lacking here. That’s not necessarily a critique of this book (it is, after all, a biography of Oppenheimer and not the bomb), just a recommendation of where to start if that’s your interest.
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Dense with information but incredibly well written. Informative about not just Oppenheimer, but the time he lived in.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
dark
informative
medium-paced
I haven't read a ton of biographies, but of the few I've checked out, American Prometheus is easily the most impressive. Writing in accessible yet never simplistic prose, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin constructed the rare tome where every anecdote or detour into a supporting figure's backstory feels necessary, adding a piece to the puzzle that is J. Robert Oppenheimer and/or the historical, political and cultural forces that shaped his life and career. They even made me -- someone whose eyes typically glaze over at the mere mention of physics -- understand the thrill that Oppenheimer and his fellow scientists got from revolutionizing their field and the sobering tragedy of all that possibility and expertise culminating in a weapon of mass destruction, to paraphrase I.I. Rabi. I would read a whole other book just about her highness Kitty Oppenheimer.