A review by mamabee77
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Martin J. Sherwin, Kai Bird

adventurous challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

 A basic description:

The authors present a highly detailed view of Oppenheimer’s life, from his early childhood, through his education and career as a revered physicist, to his appointment as head of the Manhattan Project and his eventual demise.   It illuminates in minute detail his personal and professional relationships, as well as their complexities.  The progress of the project to develop an atomic bomb is fraught with challenges, secrecy, and intrigue, and we see how Oppenheimer navigated these many threads while trying to reconcile his own position, morally, as the man chiefly responsible for bringing to fruition a weapon of mass destruction.  Years later, he endures a hearing in which he is accused of disloyalty by way of his closeness to many in the Communist Party and his reputation is smeared.  He also spent his subsequent years deeply regretful, opposing further development of any such weapons.  

While all that might sound a bit dry, it's quite intriguing.  There are many references and descriptions of the time he spent with his closest friends and family in the rugged desert of Los Alamos, New Mexico, as well, which Oppenheimer held very close to his heart.  We also see his developmental years at Cambridge University, and later, on the Caribbean Island where he retired, giving us a panoramic picture of his life experience.

 

My thoughts: 

Robert J. Oppenheimer was a great man.  His talents were multi-faceted.  He was brilliant, creative, intuitive, detail-oriented and  driven.  He accomplished more than most could ever dream of.  He was surrounded by many other brilliant minds and was highly revered.  But not long after the culmination of his paramount achievement, he was disgraced. He also spent his subsequent years regretful of his actions and the impact they had on the world at large.   It brings to mind the question of futility of a life's work, even for a man of such great achievement. 

Questions:  

Who can we really trust? 

Do our achievements even matter? 

Will the development of innovative technology always be utilized for purposes of military security? 

Criticisms 

My only criticism of the book was its length during certain parts.  Much time is spent detailing the accusations of many of his detractors during the hearings, and there are too many names and minor details to track.  It took away from the overall flow of the book, and in my opinion, it could have been about 20% shorter.