A review by kimmyjane96
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Martin J. Sherwin, Kai Bird

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

I obviously picked this book up after watching the film but I was so intimated I never thought I’d actually finish it. Sometimes it was a struggle and I had to take long breaks whilst reading but I’ve finally done it! 

I don’t really have the words to describe how I feel about this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book as researched, in depth and thorough as this one. 

Like Oppenheimer himself my thoughts are complicated. This book was dense, slow, it jumped back and forth so much it sometimes confused me but it was also interesting, informative, in depth and gripping. I both feel like I know so much about him but also nothing because I think few people actually KNEW him. 

Even though I can’t say I loved this book, I think it would be unfair to give this book anything less than a 5 stars. I can see why people may not like it and I’m not sure I will ever re - read it but I definitely think it will stick with me. 

This isn’t something I would normally read and if I hadn’t come out of the film needing to know more about the man and his decisions, I wouldn’t have picked it up.