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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
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
informative
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I have a very strong opinion about this book. Initially, my intention was to read it to better prepare for the movie. However, I was not prepared for the emotional journey it took me on.
The book initially presents itself as a biography. But as I reached the end, I realized that it was more than that. It was the author's personal account( although in great details with all the facts and research done through 10000s of FBI documents and pages) of the trials he faced in the later part of his career. Without understanding his story, it's impossible to grasp the intricate details of those trials. The story and context provide a deeper understanding of the environment during that time, shedding light on crucial facts that make everything just a little clearer.
By the time I finished reading, I came to the realization that Oppie was not a perfect man. Like every one of us, he had his good and bad sides. However, what set him apart was the incredibly difficult test he endured in an exceptionally hostile environment. I know he made so many mistakes and lapsed judgement but I have immense respect for this man now.
" In battle, in forest, at the precipice in the mountain
On the dark great sea, in the midst of javelins and arrows,
In sleep, in confusion, in the depths of shame,
The good deeds a man has done before defends him."
The book initially presents itself as a biography. But as I reached the end, I realized that it was more than that. It was the author's personal account( although in great details with all the facts and research done through 10000s of FBI documents and pages) of the trials he faced in the later part of his career. Without understanding his story, it's impossible to grasp the intricate details of those trials. The story and context provide a deeper understanding of the environment during that time, shedding light on crucial facts that make everything just a little clearer.
By the time I finished reading, I came to the realization that Oppie was not a perfect man. Like every one of us, he had his good and bad sides. However, what set him apart was the incredibly difficult test he endured in an exceptionally hostile environment. I know he made so many mistakes and lapsed judgement but I have immense respect for this man now.
" In battle, in forest, at the precipice in the mountain
On the dark great sea, in the midst of javelins and arrows,
In sleep, in confusion, in the depths of shame,
The good deeds a man has done before defends him."
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I knew almost nothing about the Manhattan Project so in advance of my first visit to New Mexico, I was looking for a book that would give me a quick primer. A Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of the director of the project seemed to fit the bill.
Not surprisingly, the period at Los Alamos is the most compelling part of the book but it benefits significantly from being seen through the lens of a man whom we've already come to know. Oppenheimer's background, as a progressive intellectual who loves his country while still feeling strong affinity for socialist ideals, is shared by many of the scientists and engineers working on the bomb so he serves as a useful proxy for the whole project team.
The authors paint a rich picture of the mixed feelings of that team as they embark upon and eventually carry out their mission and you can't help but empathize with how stressful those years must have been. As scientists, they naturally wanted to push the boundaries of human understanding, yet they were troubled by the knowledge of the massive destructive power of what they were building. What seemed to tip the balance for most of them was that if they didn't build it, the Nazis would and that Hitler would have no moral qualms about using it.
Thus, the tension comes to a head when the war in Europe ends before the bomb is ready. All of a sudden, the project's purpose shifts from ending the current war to starting the next one by firing a shot across the bow of the Soviet Union. Nowhere is the subtitle's reference to "triumph and tragedy" more stark than in the few weeks between the Trinity test and the bombing of Hiroshima. Having successfully delivered the technology, the ethical concerns raised by members of the project team were summarily dismissed as the military took full control of when and where the bomb would be used.
The bulk of the post-war portion of the book is focused on the communist witch-hunt that surrounds and eventually engulfs Oppenheimer. A lot of time is devoted to describing various perspectives on a series of relatively innocuous events in Oppenheimer's life that would ultimately cause him trouble. I'll admit that some of this detail got tedious at times, especially because it seemed clear early on that the anti-communist hysteria consuming Washington was going to prevail over any amount of evidence or logic. Nevertheless, Oppenheimer's story offers a particularly vivid example of the craziness of the period.
In the end, American Prometheus delivered the history of the Manhattan Project that I sought and provided crisply written insight into a critical period of American history.
Not surprisingly, the period at Los Alamos is the most compelling part of the book but it benefits significantly from being seen through the lens of a man whom we've already come to know. Oppenheimer's background, as a progressive intellectual who loves his country while still feeling strong affinity for socialist ideals, is shared by many of the scientists and engineers working on the bomb so he serves as a useful proxy for the whole project team.
The authors paint a rich picture of the mixed feelings of that team as they embark upon and eventually carry out their mission and you can't help but empathize with how stressful those years must have been. As scientists, they naturally wanted to push the boundaries of human understanding, yet they were troubled by the knowledge of the massive destructive power of what they were building. What seemed to tip the balance for most of them was that if they didn't build it, the Nazis would and that Hitler would have no moral qualms about using it.
Thus, the tension comes to a head when the war in Europe ends before the bomb is ready. All of a sudden, the project's purpose shifts from ending the current war to starting the next one by firing a shot across the bow of the Soviet Union. Nowhere is the subtitle's reference to "triumph and tragedy" more stark than in the few weeks between the Trinity test and the bombing of Hiroshima. Having successfully delivered the technology, the ethical concerns raised by members of the project team were summarily dismissed as the military took full control of when and where the bomb would be used.
The bulk of the post-war portion of the book is focused on the communist witch-hunt that surrounds and eventually engulfs Oppenheimer. A lot of time is devoted to describing various perspectives on a series of relatively innocuous events in Oppenheimer's life that would ultimately cause him trouble. I'll admit that some of this detail got tedious at times, especially because it seemed clear early on that the anti-communist hysteria consuming Washington was going to prevail over any amount of evidence or logic. Nevertheless, Oppenheimer's story offers a particularly vivid example of the craziness of the period.
In the end, American Prometheus delivered the history of the Manhattan Project that I sought and provided crisply written insight into a critical period of American history.
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense