American Prometheus (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
The Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture OPPENHEIMER
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4.3 • 1.1K Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE ACADEMY AWARD®-WINNING MAJOR MOTION PICTURE OPPENHEIMER • "A riveting account of one of history’s most essential and paradoxical figures.”—Christopher Nolan
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • The definitive biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the iconic figures of the twentieth century, a brilliant physicist who led the effort to build the atomic bomb for his country in a time of war, and who later found himself confronting the moral consequences of scientific progress.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century
In this magisterial, acclaimed biography twenty-five years in the making, Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin capture Oppenheimer’s life and times, from his early career to his central role in the Cold War. This is biography and history at its finest, riveting and deeply informative.
“A masterful account of Oppenheimer’s rise and fall, set in the context of the turbulent decades of America’s own transformation. It is a tour de force.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
“A work of voluminous scholarship and lucid insight, unifying its multifaceted portrait with a keen grasp of Oppenheimer’s essential nature.... It succeeds in deeply fathoming his most damaging, self-contradictory behavior.” —The New York Times
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This Pulitzer Prize–winning biography leaves no atom unturned as it explores the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb.” Co-authors Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin trace Oppenheimer’s life from his New York upbringing in a German Jewish family amidst growing antisemitic attitudes to his key role in developing the first atomic bomb to his postwar turn towards pacifism—which those in power found very unsettling. The authors’ meticulous research draws on thousands of personal sources and government documents to unpack the dizzying highs of the scientist’s career right along with the soul-destroying lows that Oppenheimer experienced after creating a weapon of unprecedented destruction. American Prometheus is a page-turning real-life story that’ll interest anyone with an interest in science, history, war, politics, or even philosophy.
Customer Reviews
I don’t know about the title.
Espectacular. The only part I did not like about this biography is the fact that I already knew how the story ends. I felt reading a fascinating novel. Learned different perspectives from a story everybody thinks they know, but they don’t. Read it!
Tragedy and Triumph
This is an even handed portrait of a deeply complicated man. Required reading for any American.
A great read
I watched the movie first and was intrigued by this man who helped create the atomic bomb, so I read this book which delves deep into the full life of this enigmatic figure, a genius. A Steve Jobs of his time, if you will. I’m reminded of the quote from the Dark Knight. “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”