A good pick for our first book club, I thought. Provoked a lot of discussion. Oppenheimer lead a fascinating life, and the authors did a great job telling his story. ( )

I'm at a bit of a loss to explain my reaction to this book.

Perhaps, it's due in part to reading it immediately after the rather weak 109 East Palace.

Perhaps, it's due simply to how well done it is.

All I know is that I recommend it. Highly.

American Prometheus is a 784 page paperback book that despite its length is never dense. In crafting their biography, the authors wisely made the decision not to get weighed down with the science that played such a central role in the protagonist's life.

The reader is treated to a clearheaded depiction of a compelling man, one which makes no bones about his flaws while at the same time celebrating his triumphs. The book delves into Oppenheimer's life from start to finish and provides the reader with a perceptive perspective on his motivations.

The section on the Gray Board hearings and the concomitant government abuses which culminated with Oppenheimer's loss of his security clearance is eerily reminiscent of the government misdeeds during the Watergate era (in the news recently due to the death of Mark Felt) and the more recent attack on civil liberties which we have suffered through under the current administration. ( )

A very well-written biography; lengthy, greatly detailed, compelling and telling. It prompted great discussion in our book group about both the man and the work. ( )

Oppenheimer had an interesting life and a well-rounded intellect. His early ties with communism led to recurring conflicts with the FBI and others. He also upset a lot of high-ups with his talk about the immorality of using the atomic bombs and his concerns about development of the hydrogen bomb. Highly recommended. ( )

aka "An American Tragedy" - biography at its best, melded with social and political history. Particularly notable for the sense of place conveyed through detailed description of cultural environments: cultured intellectual New York in the 1910s; alternative New Mexico in the 1930s; progressive San Francisco in the early 1940s; Los Alamos; academic Princeton in the 1950s. ( )