tzana's review

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dark emotional funny informative sad tense fast-paced

4.75

For a 800 page brick, I certainly didn't expect it to be so fast paced.

Also, seriously, who let this man get outside of his house, I was expecting war crimes, not tomfoolery and clowning beyond human comprehension 

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issyd23's review against another edition

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

4.0

Worth the effort! 4šŸ¤  

ā€œModern Prometheans have raided Mount Olympus again & have brought back for man the very thunderbolts of Zeus.ā€ Scientific Monthly

Imagine having one of the greatest minds of the 20th century & the first 4 chapters of your biography is about how much of a loser you were at school/uni, how little you had sex & how you had 0 friends & low key tried to kill yourself & your professor.

Thankfully Oppieā€™s neuroses ā€˜subsided during middle ageā€™ & he went on to have many affairs, friends & lead the Manhattan project & other groundbreaking discoveries. 

Jokes aside this biography is incredible: the best Iā€™ve read & well worth the slog if youā€™re a fan of the film! 

It was so great reading the backstories of Jean Tatlock, Kitty, Isi Rabi & other fascinating people (I now finally understand what happened with Haakon Chevalier).

My eBook was so filled with highlights it started lagging. 

Bird & Sherwinā€™s attention to detail & research is considerable. Take a bow! 

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abicaro17's review

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challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

This book is incredibly slow and reads like a textbook but I think it's important to read. It brings an insight I don't think is readily taught about the Cold War and atomic energy dealings after the Trinity test. I would be the first to say i'm not normally interested in biographies but this account is so interesting and insightful it counteracts that. If readers can get past the slow and methodical accounts then they'll be pleasantly surprised by how invigorating the whole story is. (Also for those who saw Oppenheimer and are wondering if this is as entertaining: it's better!) 

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aileron's review against another edition

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informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5


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