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alex_ellermann 's review for:
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
by Martin J. Sherwin, Kai Bird
'American Prometheus' is one of the best books I've read (or, in this case, listened to) so far this year.
This biography tracks closely with last summer's film "Oppenheimer," and I actually recommend seeing the film first. There are a lot of names, after all, and being able to put actors' faces to those names helps the listener keep clear regarding who's doing what to whom. With that said, the book tracks very closely with the film while adding more depth to its subjects.
I find Oppenheimer to be a fascinating man in all his brilliance, fallibility, complexity, and stupidity. I find his milieu, surrounded by many of the great minds of the twentieth century, particularly compelling. And I found author Kai Bird's writing to be clear, direct, and illuminating.
If I have one quibble, it's with the sound mixing of the Audible edition of this book. Sessions recorded on different days seem to have been recorded in different studios, or with different microphones. The clarity and tenor of the narrator's voice sometimes shifts in the middle of a chapter. It can be distracting.
This, however, is a minor quibble. Oppenheimer is an important man who found himself at the center of events during a critical time in America. His life, both in its triumphs and persecutions, offers us lessons today. In short, this is an excellent biography of a worthy subject. I strongly recommend it.
This biography tracks closely with last summer's film "Oppenheimer," and I actually recommend seeing the film first. There are a lot of names, after all, and being able to put actors' faces to those names helps the listener keep clear regarding who's doing what to whom. With that said, the book tracks very closely with the film while adding more depth to its subjects.
I find Oppenheimer to be a fascinating man in all his brilliance, fallibility, complexity, and stupidity. I find his milieu, surrounded by many of the great minds of the twentieth century, particularly compelling. And I found author Kai Bird's writing to be clear, direct, and illuminating.
If I have one quibble, it's with the sound mixing of the Audible edition of this book. Sessions recorded on different days seem to have been recorded in different studios, or with different microphones. The clarity and tenor of the narrator's voice sometimes shifts in the middle of a chapter. It can be distracting.
This, however, is a minor quibble. Oppenheimer is an important man who found himself at the center of events during a critical time in America. His life, both in its triumphs and persecutions, offers us lessons today. In short, this is an excellent biography of a worthy subject. I strongly recommend it.