In American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, authors Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin explore J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life, starting with his proposition of international controls over atomic materials, the infamous Manhattan Project, his vehement opposition to the development of the hydrogen bomb, and criticized plans for a nuclear war.

J. Robert Oppenheimer is one of the most infamous figures of the 20th century. He is heralded as the father of the atomic bomb and nuclear weapons and is seen as the Einstein of his time. J. Robert Oppenheimer was a brilliant physicist who was chairman of the General Advisory Committee of the newly created United States Atomic Energy Commission and led the effort to make the atomic bomb for America. He soon found himself wrestling with his inner thoughts and demons over the moral consequences of scientific progress.

J. Robert Oppenheimer’s words were given the cold shoulder during a world war and eventual tragedy that befell Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Americans such as J. Edgar Hoover, Joseph McCarthy, and the FBI declared that Oppenheimer could not be trusted with America’s nuclear secrets and removed his security clearance. As fear of the Communist Party in America grew, so did opposition towards J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s fiery slice of American history is a must-listen for any history buff. Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin masterfully retell Oppenheimer’s life from his early history to his pivotal role in the Cold War.

The motion picture Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy in the titular role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, is inspired by this definitive biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer. American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer is an often untold slice of American history.