-
American Prometheus
- The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 26 hrs and 30 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $34.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
- 25th Anniversary Edition
- By: Richard Rhodes
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 37 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here for the first time, in rich human, political, and scientific detail, is the complete story of how the bomb was developed, from the turn-of-the-century discovery of the vast energy locked inside the atom to the dropping of the first bombs on Japan. Few great discoveries have evolved so swiftly - or have been so misunderstood. From the theoretical discussions of nuclear energy to the bright glare of Trinity, there was a span of hardly more than 25 years.
-
-
Wow... Grade A+ ... Exceptional.
- By SPFJR on 03-15-16
By: Richard Rhodes
-
Dark Sun
- The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb
- By: Richard Rhodes
- Narrated by: Richard Rhodes
- Length: 6 hrs
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard Rhodes' landmark history of the atomic bomb won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Now, in this majestic new masterpiece of history, science, and politics, he tells for the first time the secret story of how and why the hydrogen bomb was made, and traces the path by which this supreme artifact of 20th-century technology became the defining issue of the Cold War.
-
-
Abridged??
- By Delano on 04-17-13
By: Richard Rhodes
-
Robert Oppenheimer
- A Life Inside the Center
- By: Ray Monk
- Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom
- Length: 35 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Oppenheimer was among the most brilliant and divisive of men. As head of the Los Alamos Laboratory, he oversaw the successful effort to beat the Nazis in the race to develop the first atomic bomb – a breakthrough that was to have eternal ramifications for mankind and that made Oppenheimer the “Father of the Atomic Bomb.” But with his actions leading up to that great achievement, he also set himself on a dangerous collision course with Senator Joseph McCarthy and his witch-hunters. In Robert Oppenheimer: A Life Inside the Center, Ray Monk, author of peerless biographies of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell, goes deeper than any previous biographer in the quest to solve the enigma of Oppenheimer’s motivations and his complex personality.
-
-
A comprehensive biography
- By Jean on 10-17-14
By: Ray Monk
-
The Strangest Man
- The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom
- By: Graham Farmelo
- Narrated by: B. J. Harrison
- Length: 19 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Dirac was among the great scientific geniuses of the modern age. One of the discoverers of quantum mechanics, the most revolutionary theory of the past century, his contributions had a unique insight, eloquence, clarity, and mathematical power. His prediction of antimatter was one of the greatest triumphs in the history of physics.
-
-
Excellent, well written and narrated biography
- By Mark on 01-17-10
By: Graham Farmelo
-
Einstein
- His Life and Universe
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 21 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why we think it’s a great listen: You thought he was a stodgy scientist with funny hair, but Isaacson and Hermann reveal an eloquent, intense, and selfless human being who not only shaped science with his theories, but politics and world events in the 20th century as well. Based on the newly released personal letters of Albert Einstein, Walter Isaacson explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos.
-
-
This is the kind of book that deserves a Pulitzer
- By Amazon Customer on 05-08-07
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Alan Turing: The Enigma
- By: Andrew Hodges
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s only a slight exaggeration to say that the British mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954) saved the Allies from the Nazis, invented the computer and artificial intelligence, and anticipated gay liberation by decades--all before his suicide at age forty-one. This classic biography of the founder of computer science, reissued on the centenary of his birth with a substantial new preface by the author, is the definitive account of an extraordinary mind and life.
-
-
Very technical but informative and well performed
- By Pieter Reyneke on 04-24-15
By: Andrew Hodges
-
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
- 25th Anniversary Edition
- By: Richard Rhodes
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 37 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here for the first time, in rich human, political, and scientific detail, is the complete story of how the bomb was developed, from the turn-of-the-century discovery of the vast energy locked inside the atom to the dropping of the first bombs on Japan. Few great discoveries have evolved so swiftly - or have been so misunderstood. From the theoretical discussions of nuclear energy to the bright glare of Trinity, there was a span of hardly more than 25 years.
-
-
Wow... Grade A+ ... Exceptional.
- By SPFJR on 03-15-16
By: Richard Rhodes
-
Dark Sun
- The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb
- By: Richard Rhodes
- Narrated by: Richard Rhodes
- Length: 6 hrs
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard Rhodes' landmark history of the atomic bomb won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Now, in this majestic new masterpiece of history, science, and politics, he tells for the first time the secret story of how and why the hydrogen bomb was made, and traces the path by which this supreme artifact of 20th-century technology became the defining issue of the Cold War.
-
-
Abridged??
- By Delano on 04-17-13
By: Richard Rhodes
-
Robert Oppenheimer
- A Life Inside the Center
- By: Ray Monk
- Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom
- Length: 35 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Oppenheimer was among the most brilliant and divisive of men. As head of the Los Alamos Laboratory, he oversaw the successful effort to beat the Nazis in the race to develop the first atomic bomb – a breakthrough that was to have eternal ramifications for mankind and that made Oppenheimer the “Father of the Atomic Bomb.” But with his actions leading up to that great achievement, he also set himself on a dangerous collision course with Senator Joseph McCarthy and his witch-hunters. In Robert Oppenheimer: A Life Inside the Center, Ray Monk, author of peerless biographies of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell, goes deeper than any previous biographer in the quest to solve the enigma of Oppenheimer’s motivations and his complex personality.
-
-
A comprehensive biography
- By Jean on 10-17-14
By: Ray Monk
-
The Strangest Man
- The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom
- By: Graham Farmelo
- Narrated by: B. J. Harrison
- Length: 19 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Dirac was among the great scientific geniuses of the modern age. One of the discoverers of quantum mechanics, the most revolutionary theory of the past century, his contributions had a unique insight, eloquence, clarity, and mathematical power. His prediction of antimatter was one of the greatest triumphs in the history of physics.
-
-
Excellent, well written and narrated biography
- By Mark on 01-17-10
By: Graham Farmelo
-
Einstein
- His Life and Universe
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 21 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why we think it’s a great listen: You thought he was a stodgy scientist with funny hair, but Isaacson and Hermann reveal an eloquent, intense, and selfless human being who not only shaped science with his theories, but politics and world events in the 20th century as well. Based on the newly released personal letters of Albert Einstein, Walter Isaacson explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos.
-
-
This is the kind of book that deserves a Pulitzer
- By Amazon Customer on 05-08-07
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Alan Turing: The Enigma
- By: Andrew Hodges
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s only a slight exaggeration to say that the British mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954) saved the Allies from the Nazis, invented the computer and artificial intelligence, and anticipated gay liberation by decades--all before his suicide at age forty-one. This classic biography of the founder of computer science, reissued on the centenary of his birth with a substantial new preface by the author, is the definitive account of an extraordinary mind and life.
-
-
Very technical but informative and well performed
- By Pieter Reyneke on 04-24-15
By: Andrew Hodges
-
The Apocalypse Factory
- Plutonium and the Making of the Atomic Age
- By: Steve Olson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It began with plutonium, the first element ever manufactured in quantity by humans. Fearing that the Germans would be the first to weaponize the atom, the United States marshaled brilliant minds and seemingly inexhaustible bodies to find a way to create a nuclear chain reaction of inconceivable explosive power. In a matter of months, the Hanford nuclear facility was built to produce and weaponize the enigmatic and deadly new material that would fuel atomic bombs.
-
-
Lacking in many aspects
- By Etienne on 08-27-20
By: Steve Olson
-
The Last Man Who Knew Everything
- The Life and Times of Enrico Fermi, Father of the Nuclear Age
- By: David N. Schwartz
- Narrated by: Tristan Morris
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1942, a team at the University of Chicago achieved what no one had before: a nuclear chain reaction. At the forefront of this breakthrough stood Enrico Fermi. Straddling the ages of classical physics and quantum mechanics, equally at ease with theory and experiment, Fermi truly was the last man who knew everything - at least about physics. But he was also a complex figure who was a part of both the Italian Fascist Party and the Manhattan Project, and a less-than-ideal father and husband who nevertheless remained one of history's greatest mentors.
-
-
Excellent
- By Peter Ryers on 01-16-18
-
A Beautiful Mind
- By: Sylvia Nasar
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 18 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Forbes Nash, Jr., a prodigy and legend by the age of 30, dazzled the mathematical world by solving a series of deep problems deemed "impossible" by other mathematicians. But at the height of his fame, Nash suffered a catastrophic mental breakdown and began a harrowing descent into insanity, resigning his post at MIT, slipping into a series of bizarre delusions, and eventually becoming a dreamy, ghostlike figure at Princeton, scrawling numerological messages on blackboards.
-
-
Its a biography of a mathematician.
- By TheHasselhoff on 08-15-12
By: Sylvia Nasar
-
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- By: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
-
-
Narrative possesses listener, it's that good
- By Gary on 10-08-12
-
Operation Paperclip
- The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America
- By: Annie Jacobsen
- Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
- Length: 19 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the chaos following World War II, the US government faced many difficult decisions, including what to do with the Third Reich's scientific minds. These were the brains behind the Nazis' once-indomitable war machine. So began Operation Paperclip, a decades-long, covert project to bring Hitler's scientists and their families to the United States. Many of these men were accused of war crimes, and others had stood trial at Nuremberg; one was convicted of mass murder and slavery.
-
-
The Osenberg list
- By Jean on 08-07-14
By: Annie Jacobsen
-
The Power Broker
- Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
- By: Robert A. Caro
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 66 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everywhere acknowledged as a modern American classic, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and chosen by the Modern Library as one of the hundred greatest books of the 20th century, The Power Broker is a galvanizing biography revealing not only the saga of one man's incredible accumulation of power, but the story of the shaping (and mis-shaping) of New York in the 20th century.
-
-
Superb Narration of an Essential Story
- By Jenny Jenkins on 06-29-14
By: Robert A. Caro
-
Napoleon
- A Life
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 32 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Andrew Roberts' Napoleon is the first one-volume biography to take advantage of the recent publication of Napoleon's thirty-three thousand letters, which radically transform our understanding of his character and motivation. At last we see him as he was: protean multitasker, decisive, surprisingly willing to forgive his enemies and his errant wife Josephine.
-
-
What a dynamo!
- By Tad Davis on 01-16-15
By: Andrew Roberts
-
Rogues
- True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks
- By: Patrick Radden Keefe
- Narrated by: Patrick Radden Keefe
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the prize-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing—and one of the most decorated journalists of our time—twelve enthralling stories of skulduggery and intrigue.
-
-
A letdown
- By avilabeach on 07-21-22
-
Titan
- The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
- By: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 35 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller’s exceptionally rich trove of papers. A landmark publication full of startling revelations, the book indelibly alters our image of this most enigmatic capitalist. Born the son of a flamboyant, bigamous snake-oil salesman and a pious, straitlaced mother, Rockefeller rose from rustic origins to become the world’s richest man by creating America’s most powerful and feared monopoly, Standard Oil. Branded "the Octopus" by legions of muckrakers, the trust refined and marketed nearly 90 percent of the oil produced in America.
-
-
WOW! What a fascinating story!
- By martha on 12-17-13
By: Ron Chernow
-
Master of the Senate
- The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume III (Part 1 of a 3-Part Recording)
- By: Robert A. Caro
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Master of the Senate carries Lyndon Johnson's story through one of its most remarkable periods: his 12 years, from 1949 to 1960, in the United States Senate. Once the most august and revered body in politics, by the time Johnson arrived the Senate had become a parody of itself and an obstacle that for decades had blocked desperately needed liberal legislation. Caro shows how Johnson's brilliance, charm, and ruthlessness enabled him to become the youngest and most powerful Majority Leader in history.
-
-
A great book. A deceptive pricing policy
- By Peter on 10-19-13
By: Robert A. Caro
-
Genius
- The Life and Science of Richard Feynman
- By: James Gleick
- Narrated by: Dick Estell
- Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of the national best seller Chaos comes an outstanding biography of one of the most dazzling and flamboyant scientists of the 20th century that "not only paints a highly attractive portrait of Feynman but also . . . makes for a stimulating adventure in the annals of science." ( The New York Times).
-
-
Wonderful Biography!
- By Douglas on 04-07-13
By: James Gleick
-
Skunk Works
- A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed
- By: Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind America's high-stakes quest to dominate the skies. Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works is a drama of Cold War confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering and human achievement against fantastic odds.
-
-
Ben Rich's life story...but not in that order
- By Allstar on 11-05-16
By: Ben R. Rich, and others
Publisher's Summary
Pulitzer Prize, Biography/Autobiography, 2006
National Book Critics Circle Award, Biography, 2006
J. Robert Oppenheimer is one of the iconic figures of the 20th century, a brilliant physicist who led the effort to build the atomic bomb for his country in a time of war and who later found himself confronting the moral consequences of scientific progress.
When he proposed international controls over atomic materials, opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb, and criticized plans for a nuclear war, his ideas were anathema to powerful advocates of a massive nuclear buildup during the anti-Communist hysteria of the early 1950s. They declared that Oppenheimer could not be trusted with America's nuclear secrets.
In this magisterial biography, 25 years in the making, the authors capture Oppenheimer's life and times, from his early career to his central role in the Cold War.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about American Prometheus
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Roy
- 07-10-09
A "Blast" from the Past
Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin have written an outstanding biography in "American Prometheus." It relates the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer from childhood through the Manhattan Project. The book delves into the complexity of this man's personality and motivations. It thoroughly covers his political activism and his professional career. Biography lovers will not be disappointed. The writing is fast paced, the reading is very good, and Oppenheimer comes alive. Perhaps the most valuable contribution the book makes is placing Oppenheimer in political and historic context. The reader learns alot about the era as his life unfolds.
NOTE: My downloaded copy of the book seemed to be edited. The book is still worth the effort, but short portions were apparently re-recorded and inserted into the audio in places. The warmth of the reader(who was excellent by the way) changes abruptly and then jerks back. The pace changes for very brief periods where insertions are made. The volume abruptly changes and then returns. It was a distraction to my ears at least. Don't miss this book if you have an interest, however, for this reason alone.
56 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Leslie
- 12-28-09
interesting, but recording is not good
The book itself is quite interesting and well worth it. Unfortunately, the audio editing is not good. The cuts are noticeable as the narrator's volume and tone changes, something I have not observed on any other book I've listened to. There was also at least one occasion where a line was repeated because of poor editing. Finally, the narrator mangles foreign words, especially French one, which is quite distracting.
42 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- CFS
- 09-03-07
One of the best books I have read
Although a true marathon listen, this was a fascinating trip throug the history of the atomic bomb centered on J. Robert Oppenheimer's life with many intricate and brilliant connections to the political agenda of the times. I learned more from this book than I did in high shool and although it took may weeks to finish, I would read this book again and will also recommend it to others for a very enjoyable, extremely well written, complex book. A true pleasure.
33 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Dr. Mark
- 08-16-07
well worth the time
This book above all is a full and detailed review of a brilliant man's life, including his successes, failures, weaknesses and strengths. Its volume is necessary because of the immense complexity of Oppenheimer's work and relationships. It reveals that great intellect can lead to heroic deeds (manhattan project) and unfortunate missteps (his marital and familial relationships). Most impressively, the authors take great effort to provide insight into the unfortunate McCarthy era and its effect on individuals and the nation as a whole.
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Chris
- 05-17-08
Wow
Bad editing is my only complaint about this one. Great book, but you can really tell when they re-recorded something or took a break in the recording. Very poorly done and really interupts what is otherwise an outstanding book. I would highly recomend this if you have any interest in Oppie, Physics or civil liberties.
46 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Edith
- 12-13-07
An American Tragedy
This is a haunting story of a brilliant man, and what the ugly demagogues of the 50's did to him. It captures the man, his charisma, phenomenal mind, surprising shortcomings, and as well his era with it's endless martinis, cigarettes, political naivite and grey-flannel evil. Truly a compelling "read."
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Thomas
- 11-25-07
Oppenheimer
The book is a fine description of an extremely unusual man, and it is read with an appropriate level of feeling. The reader, though, should have learned how to pronounce the names of persons and places. A significant number are pronounced incorrectly.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeff
- 04-21-12
VERY WELL DONE
I Have to admit that I stalled on this for awhile, but was ampaly rewarded for returning to this listen and finishing. What a story! what a man! A remarkable book in the end. I would label this REQUIRED READING for the history revealed from many different critical points. Aspects of this book still haunt me. A very well researched, revealing and rewarding read. Well written and narrated
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Ben
- 01-25-10
Interesting Man - Reader not so much...
I found the choppy editing of the audio distracting, and the reader's attempts at foreign pronunciation forced. Sometimes it seemed that the pronunciation was corrected, such as it was, by obviously reinserting the word into the audio stream. In addition, the reader's habit of taking on the voices of the various speakers was not entirely successful.
In the end, it was hard on the ears and I stopped listening after three or four hours. Too bad, since the best was yet to come, I hear.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- David
- 01-01-08
Thorough and Revealing
If you have enough patience for this very thorough biography, then you will be rewarded. By the end, I had come to believe that I had a good grasp of who Oppenheimer was, and what he had contributed to the scientific community. I also really, really hated McCarthyism, and felt that the country had done the man a deservice. I had heard much about the events of the Manhattan Project before hearing this, but I knew very little about the early days of post-war bomb development. I found those details especially rivetting.
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Steve
- 03-21-14
Spoilt by a very poor recording
Imagine you’re reading a great book: perhaps you delight not only in the author’s skill with the pen, but also that of the typographer who has lovingly crafted the spacing, the line breaks and the hyphenation to ensure that the appearance of the type is as appealing as the story itself. Imagine then, that you turn the page only to find a single sentence set, not only in a different typeface, but also larger and poorly spaced. Reading further, you find odd passages here and there, sometimes just a few words, sometimes complete paragraphs that are set completely differently to the rest of the book. That is the visual equivalent of listening to this book, the recording of which is continuously interspersed with re-recorded passages that have a different quality than the original.
Although I’d read complaints about this in other reviews, I never imagined the extent to which it occurs. In almost every case, it’s a sentence that contains a name that’s either foreign or difficult to pronounce. It occurs so often that you can’t help wondering if it wouldn’t have been easier to have simply re-recorded the entire book. It’s jarring and, for me at least, interrupted and spoilt the narrative.
In a book that, thanks to the nature of its content, is riddled with foreign names and complicated words, you’d think that the producer, at least, would have either checked the pronunciations or chosen a narrator a little more au fait with foreign expressions and pronunciation. It’s very sad, because it’s an otherwise fascinating and well written book.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dan W.
- 02-26-18
Unfortunately I returned it.
As others have said, the narration has been seamlessly spliced in to areas where the pronunciation needed to be corrected *sarcasm*. The first splice is the worst. The others later in the book sound like the narrator has decided to put a bucket on his head while talking.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- mr philip kelly
- 07-18-22
A brief History in Time
Over a very enthralling listen, 23 hours is a lot to sit through, and it took a while, but you can’t help but feel for the great man that he was, no matter what side of then argument you sit on.
Diaries seem to have been used a lot and the vast amount of research that went into the book is astounding, down to food he ate and what he wore, and his haircuts. The ending for me, was sad, that such a great mind was alone is so many ways. The word Genius is not enough to describe is intellect, and still he was linked by many, not generally traits that go hand in hand. You know what one is asked, who would like to have a dinner table if you could pick someone from history, this gentleman would be ion my list.
I enjoyed it, so should you.
Don’t let the recording put you off learning about such a great figure in life.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jonathan catlin
- 07-14-22
A humanising Insight
It is difficult to truly understand someone. This book makes a dam good stab at it.
Whilst aspects are tragic, the story of Robert J Oppenheimer should be celebrated for his commitment to science and human thinking.
He seems ambiguous at times but context defines the nuonces.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- John
- 06-06-22
Loved the book, but hated the production
This is a great book - but it's very audibly stitched together from various recording sessions - every couple of sentences, there is a notable change in room ambience, or volume / tone, which I found very distracting at first, its something you get used to - but I expected better for such a prestigious book.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jonathan
- 05-20-22
Interesting content ruined by production
Riddled by re-recorded sections produced with wholly different volume and pacing which makes sections feel like listening to an automated phone system.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- G. Lennox
- 12-06-21
Oppie
Fascinating read about a fascinating man. Looking forward to seeing what C Nolan does with the source material
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tonkabean
- 09-05-20
wonderfully in depth and well read
a really great listen, raising really interesting questions and enabling what feels like a very thorough and nuanced understanding of the man and his life.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Hareth
- 03-16-19
A Terrific Narration of a Riveting Life
Before I listened to this audiobook everything I knew about Oppenheimer came either from "The Pope of Physics" by Hoerlin and Segre, or from the internet. The book came to my attention searching Audible for books on the subject and had excellent reviews even if a monstrous length. All the same I decided to power through it so that I could hear the story and was pleasantly surprised to find (almost) perfect narration and quite coherent prose.
The narration was succinct, emotive and enrapturing with very little to fault. The only issues I found were when the narrator got to French words, which were clearly dubbed in later (took nothing away) and the odd 2-second pause to flip the page. At 26 hours that is a mammoth achievement and I commend the narrator for his endurance.
The story itself was a fascinsting and captivating one, even more so than the aforementioned book on Fermi. The book goes into quite a lot of depth about his early life and for good reason in developing the character later on. His academic career is developed but I would say that he did not have one quite as prolific as some of the other great physicists of his era. The real point at which his eminence comes out is when he started workint at Los Alamos, and it is here the most complex plots truly develop. The quality of description of the book on life at the site is something that I found made it superior to the Fermi book, and it seems that this is the point at which the titular character truly shines.
Following this I must say there is not much left other than the trial, and the book gives subtle and indepth coverage of how these played out. I cannot say that I had much prior knowledge other than Teller's role in them, but the way they describe how it came out and the aftermath of the affair gives insight one cannot get from other sources.
This book is a very detailed description of Oppenheimer's life and I was able to follow it all the way through because of the quality of prose and narration.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ben Leacock
- 02-09-19
Brilliant!
Not the best audio quality at times where the volume and tone seem to switch but worth pushing through. Superb look into the life of a man with such a great mind!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anju
- 03-16-18
Touching
Never knew the entire story of Oppenheimer until I heard this book. The Amazing but sad journey of a intellect is minutely captured in this book. And once again a great narration from Jeff. I always knew Openheimer as the father of the atom bomb - after reading this book I now know that he won’t be proud of that title.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 09-05-17
Brilliant and enlightening
A comprehensive look at the ambiguous life of one of the great men of modern history whose influence can be felt even today.