American Prometheus

The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

No cover

Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin: American Prometheus (2006, Vintage)

784 pages

English language

Published April 11, 2006 by Vintage.

View on OpenLibrary

(1 review)

2 editions

Good but read The Making of the Atomic Bomb instead

The bomb is used halfway through this book and the rest is about the tragedy of the McCarthy era. It includes a play-by-play of terrible moments in anti-communist fear mongering. It's worthwhile history though not nearly as interesting as the complexities of Oppenheimer's success in leading scientists with competing egos under immense pressure.