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The Resource American Prometheus : the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

American Prometheus : the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

Creator
Contributor
Summary
The first full-scale biography of the "father of the atomic bomb," the brilliant, charismatic physicist who led the effort to capture the fire of the sun for his country in time of war. After Hiroshima, he became the most famous scientist of his generation--an icon of modern man confronting the consequences of scientific progress. He created a radical proposal to place international controls over atomic materials, opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb and criticized the Air Force's plans to fight a nuclear war. In the hysteria of the early 1950s, his ideas were anathema to powerful advocates of a massive nuclear buildup, and people such as Edward Teller and FBI director J. Edgar Hoover worked behind the scenes to obtain a finding that he could not be trusted with America's nuclear secrets. This book is both biography and history, significant to our understanding of our recent past--and of our choices for the future
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Edition
1st ed.
Extent
xiii, 721 pages
Contents
  • pt. 1. "He received every new idea as perfectly beautiful"
  • "His separate prison"
  • "I am having a pretty bad time"
  • "I find the work hard, thank God, & almost pleasant"
  • "I am Oppenheimer"
  • "Oppie"
  • "The nim nim boys"
  • pt. 2. "In 1936 my interests began to change"
  • "[Frank] clipped it out and sent it in"
  • "More and more surely"
  • "I'm going to marry a friend of yours, Steve"
  • "We were pulling the new deal to the left"
  • "The coordinator of rapid rupture"
  • "The Chevalier affair"
  • pt. 3. "He'd become very patriotic"
  • "Too much secrecy"
  • "Oppenheimer is telling the truth"
  • "Suicide, motive unknown"
  • "Would you like to adopt her? ''
  • "Bohr was God, and Oppie was his prophet"
  • "The impact of the gadget on civilization"
  • "Now we're all sons-of-bitches"
  • pt. 4. "Those poor little people"
  • "I feel I have blood on my hands"
  • "People could destroy New York"
  • "Oppie had a rash and is now immune"
  • "An intellectual hotel"
  • "He couldn't understand why he did it"
  • "I am sure that is why she threw things at him"
  • "He never let on what his opinion was"
  • "Dark words about Oppie"
  • "Scientist X"
  • "The beast in the jungle"
  • pt. 5. "It looks pretty bad, doesn't it?"
  • "I fear that this whole thing is a piece of idiocy"
  • "A manifestation of hysteria"
  • "A black mark on the escutcheon of our country"
  • "I can still feel the warm blood on my hands"
  • "It was really like a never-never-land"
  • "It should have been done the day after trinity"
  • "There's only one Robert."
Isbn
9780375412028
Instance
Label
American Prometheus : the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Title
American Prometheus
Title remainder
the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Statement of responsibility
by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
Title variation
Triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Creator
Contributor
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
The first full-scale biography of the "father of the atomic bomb," the brilliant, charismatic physicist who led the effort to capture the fire of the sun for his country in time of war. After Hiroshima, he became the most famous scientist of his generation--an icon of modern man confronting the consequences of scientific progress. He created a radical proposal to place international controls over atomic materials, opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb and criticized the Air Force's plans to fight a nuclear war. In the hysteria of the early 1950s, his ideas were anathema to powerful advocates of a massive nuclear buildup, and people such as Edward Teller and FBI director J. Edgar Hoover worked behind the scenes to obtain a finding that he could not be trusted with America's nuclear secrets. This book is both biography and history, significant to our understanding of our recent past--and of our choices for the future
Award
  • Booklist Editors' Choice, 2005.
  • National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography, 2005.
  • New York Times Notable Book, 2005.
  • Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, 2006.
Awards note
National Books Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, 2007
Biography type
individual biography
http://library.link/vocab/ext/novelist/bookUI
154517
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Bird, Kai
Dewey number
530/.092
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
QC16.O62
LC item number
B57 2005
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
Sherwin, Martin J
http://library.link/vocab/resourcePreferred
True
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Oppenheimer, J. Robert
  • Physicists
  • Atomic bomb
  • Science
  • United States
  • Oppenheimer, J. Robert
  • Atomic bomb
  • Physicists
  • Science
  • United States
  • Oppenheimer, J. Robert
  • Umschulungswerkstèatten fèur Siedler und Auswanderer
  • Manhattanproject
  • Kernwaffe
  • Rèustungspolitik
  • Oppenheimer, Julius Robert
  • Oppenheimer, J. Robert
  • Physicists
  • Atomic bomb
  • Science
  • United States
http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/titleRemainder
the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Label
American Prometheus : the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 685-699) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
pt. 1. "He received every new idea as perfectly beautiful" -- "His separate prison" -- "I am having a pretty bad time" -- "I find the work hard, thank God, & almost pleasant" -- "I am Oppenheimer" -- "Oppie" -- "The nim nim boys" -- pt. 2. "In 1936 my interests began to change" -- "[Frank] clipped it out and sent it in" -- "More and more surely" -- "I'm going to marry a friend of yours, Steve" -- "We were pulling the new deal to the left" -- "The coordinator of rapid rupture" -- "The Chevalier affair" -- pt. 3. "He'd become very patriotic" -- "Too much secrecy" -- "Oppenheimer is telling the truth" -- "Suicide, motive unknown" -- "Would you like to adopt her? '' -- "Bohr was God, and Oppie was his prophet" -- "The impact of the gadget on civilization" -- "Now we're all sons-of-bitches" -- pt. 4. "Those poor little people" -- "I feel I have blood on my hands" -- "People could destroy New York" -- "Oppie had a rash and is now immune" -- "An intellectual hotel" -- "He couldn't understand why he did it" -- "I am sure that is why she threw things at him" -- "He never let on what his opinion was" -- "Dark words about Oppie" -- "Scientist X" -- "The beast in the jungle" -- pt. 5. "It looks pretty bad, doesn't it?" -- "I fear that this whole thing is a piece of idiocy" -- "A manifestation of hysteria" -- "A black mark on the escutcheon of our country" -- "I can still feel the warm blood on my hands" -- "It was really like a never-never-land" -- "It should have been done the day after trinity" -- "There's only one Robert."
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
1st ed.
Extent
xiii, 721 pages
Isbn
9780375412028
Lccn
2004061535
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other control number
9780375412028
Other physical details
illustrations
Specific material designation
regular print
System control number
(OCoLC)56753298
Label
American Prometheus : the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 685-699) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
pt. 1. "He received every new idea as perfectly beautiful" -- "His separate prison" -- "I am having a pretty bad time" -- "I find the work hard, thank God, & almost pleasant" -- "I am Oppenheimer" -- "Oppie" -- "The nim nim boys" -- pt. 2. "In 1936 my interests began to change" -- "[Frank] clipped it out and sent it in" -- "More and more surely" -- "I'm going to marry a friend of yours, Steve" -- "We were pulling the new deal to the left" -- "The coordinator of rapid rupture" -- "The Chevalier affair" -- pt. 3. "He'd become very patriotic" -- "Too much secrecy" -- "Oppenheimer is telling the truth" -- "Suicide, motive unknown" -- "Would you like to adopt her? '' -- "Bohr was God, and Oppie was his prophet" -- "The impact of the gadget on civilization" -- "Now we're all sons-of-bitches" -- pt. 4. "Those poor little people" -- "I feel I have blood on my hands" -- "People could destroy New York" -- "Oppie had a rash and is now immune" -- "An intellectual hotel" -- "He couldn't understand why he did it" -- "I am sure that is why she threw things at him" -- "He never let on what his opinion was" -- "Dark words about Oppie" -- "Scientist X" -- "The beast in the jungle" -- pt. 5. "It looks pretty bad, doesn't it?" -- "I fear that this whole thing is a piece of idiocy" -- "A manifestation of hysteria" -- "A black mark on the escutcheon of our country" -- "I can still feel the warm blood on my hands" -- "It was really like a never-never-land" -- "It should have been done the day after trinity" -- "There's only one Robert."
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
1st ed.
Extent
xiii, 721 pages
Isbn
9780375412028
Lccn
2004061535
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other control number
9780375412028
Other physical details
illustrations
Specific material designation
regular print
System control number
(OCoLC)56753298

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