“American Prometheus” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific director of the Manhattan Project and one of the fathers of the atomic bomb. Written by Kai Bird, it tells Oppenheimer’s life story from his privileged youth in New York City to his years as a professor at Berkeley, to his work on the Manhattan Project and subsequent fall from grace during the Cold War. A compelling and extensively researched account, “American Prometheus” paints an intimate portrait of one man’s remarkable achievements – and tragic failures.
For who is this book for ?
This is a biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, written by Kai Bird. It tells the story of his life from childhood to adulthood, and details his work on the Manhattan Project and subsequent fall from grace during the Cold War.
Pros :
- Well-researched
- Intimate portrait of J. Robert Oppenheimer
- Comprehensive account of his life
Cons :
- The book is dense and can be tough to get through
- It’s a long read, at nearly 700 pages
- The biography skips over important parts of Oppenheimer’s life
Learn more about the author
Kai Bird is an award-winning journalist and the author of eleven books, including “The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames” (a finalist for the National Book Award) and “American Prometheus”. He has been a staff writer at The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Harper’s magazine, and Boston Globe.
Reader Reviews
“American Prometheus”
“American Prometheus”
“Bird has created a masterpiece of biography, displaying Oppenheimer’s brilliance and his flaws in full… meticulously researched and elegantly written.”
“American Prometheus”
