American Prometheus captured my interest early in the book. How could you not be intrigued by this statement by the physicist Freeman Dyson: “Oppenheimer’s decision to participate in the creation of a genocidal weapon was ‘A Faustian Bargain if there ever was one.”
The ‘bargain’: Oppenheimer led the efforts to create the atomic bomb.
‘Opie,’ called by friends, students, and associates, was destined for greatness. Born in 1904 in New York to wealthy, educated parents, he had a leg up. The fact that he was later considered one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century rounded out his destiny for greatness.
The reader has a unique opportunity to follow the life of a man who lived in the most fascinating of times. WWI, the Depression, WWII, and the Cold War framed his life. Oppenheimer was an active participant in the unfolding of physics and many of its applications. His contributions changed the course of history.
This exhaustive, detailed account of Oppenheimer’s life and the world in which he lived provides a plethora of facts and social commentary. The reader experiences the young scientist’s years at Cambridge, the University of Gottingen, and Harvard. Whilst gaining his education, he experienced great personal crises careening into the depths of emotional trauma. Did he, in fact, attempt to poison one of his favorite professors? Opie’s formative years, well into his thirties, were spent sorting out his complex and often spiraling persona.
Dr. Oppenheimer accomplished much of his work during periods of great personal angst. He published important writings on theoretical physics: quantum mechanics and nuclear physics. He was well known for his theory on black holes.
Oppenheimer’s association with socialism and communism complicated his relationships and professional life.
A Renaissance thinker, he spoke Greek, French, German, and Latin. Oppenheimer was a student of literature, philosophy, and art. This broad education equipped him to lead men from many backgrounds, particularly during his tenure at Los Alamos.
Somewhat isolated in his intellectual world, he maintained an elitist outlook. He was an ardent advocate of ‘The Open Society: The unrestricted access to knowledge, the unplanned and uninhibited association of men for its furtherance.’ This belief and a large dose of naivete contributed to his undoing, vis-à-vis the 1950s McCarthy hearings.
He was arrogant and, as one person said, ‘He had a desperate need to condescend.’ This genius’s brilliance and abilities mesmerized students, colleagues, and friends alike. As Oppenheimer matured, fortified with life experiences, he devoted a tremendous amount of time to mentoring others. His transparency and dedication to the advancement of science created a fierce worldwide following. In the early fifties, J Robert Oppenheimer was one of the most famous people in the world. But in his wake, he left a trail of jealous zealots devoted to his demise.
The authors have assembled a book that is certainly the most definitive work on J Robert Oppenheimer. It is personal, well-researched, and minutely documented. The book is fair, sobering, and a tad overwritten, but well worth the read. The reader will come away gratified and confident that they have gained a well-balanced, comprehensive understanding of ‘Opie’ and his times.