1.65k reviews for:

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

Martin J. Sherwin, Kai Bird

4.33 AVERAGE

srinr's review against another edition

5.0

challenging informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

joshkitchen90's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

caidyn's review against another edition

4.25

informative slow-paced

---

An excellent, well researched book. I've never read up on Oppenheimer before, but this is the book to do it. It's comprehensive and rather unbiased in its look at him.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide

Moderate: Cancer, War

djsteffen's review against another edition

5.0

informative reflective sad slow-paced

jollyreads's review against another edition

4.0

informative reflective slow-paced

mandarjoshi's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring tense fast-paced

wifescullys's review against another edition

5.0

---

Very crazy. Written in a way that speaks to a Shakespearean ugly little comedy even with all the dense information packed in. Awaiting the panel's judgement, Kitty and him spent hours in front of the black-and-white television set, his reaction to Kennedy being shot, his difficulty with connecting with his children; every detail helped make up the landscape of the 50s in a way that caught attention and held it. Very sad but appropriate ending, w/ the idea of Toni's unfittedness in the world another consequence of Oppenheimer's climbing to greatness, what you leave behind, and also Oppenheimer's illness and physical failing and fragility of his body and the attitude surrounding it reminded me a lot of Humphrey Bogart's own (alcoholism , too, much more)—leaving me with a great deal of sadness. A lot said about ambiguity and the failing/stupidity of trying to chalk everything up to black or white. Finally, as Oppenheimer's son put it, Strauss is rotting in hell. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide

angie82's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

littlespider9's review against another edition

3.5

challenging informative medium-paced

tayhue's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced