American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (review)

It is difficult to believe that four works dealing with the life and times of J. Robert Oppenheimer have appeared within the past year, all of excellent quality. American Prometheus joins J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century by David C. Cassidy, 109 East Place Street: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant, and The Ruin of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Birth of the Modern Arms Race by Priscilla J. McMillan. As their titles indicate, these works approach this seminal figure of the twentieth century from different perspectives. Cassidy places Oppenheimer in the social context of twentieth-century science, government policy, and politics. Conant narrows her focus to Oppenheimer's leadership of the Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project, while McMillan concentrates on the postwar period of his life.

The biography by Bird and Sherwin under review here, however, emerges as the most comprehensive biography to date of the famous physicist. This meticulously researched, riveting work by two respected historians succeeds in the considerable task of capturing the essence of Oppenheimer, a remarkably complex figure. Using personal papers and public documents as well as interviews with members of Oppenheimer's family, friends, former students, and professional associates, the authors provide new insights into his life, including detailed descriptions of the scientist's relations with his parents, the women in his life, his scientific colleagues, members of the military and the government, and his friends beyond these communities. Their well-written narrative progresses smoothly from his childhood, formal education, and early academic career to his leadership of the Manhattan Project, his post–World War II opposition to the development of the hydrogen bomb, and the removal of his security clearance by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

The authors argue strongly that the revocation of Oppenheimer's clearance at the conclusion of AEC hearings in 1954, which they characterize as a kangaroo court, was not justified. His advocacy of international control of nuclear materials, opposition to the development of the hydrogen bomb, and criticism of the Air Force's plan for waging nuclear war led to the hearings. The inquiry was engineered by former AEC Commissioner Lewis Strauss, with vigorous assistance from attorney William Borden. These men, along with physicist Edward Teller and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, led the efforts to discredit Oppenheimer.

While Oppenheimer had close associations with members of the Communist Party in the 1930s, as did many academics, the authors believe there is little solid evidence to suggest that he was ever a member of the party. In any case, by 1943 he had severed all contacts with the party. The authors examine the famous Haakon Chevalier incident in 1943 which would pose problems for Oppenheimer for the remainder of his life. It was contended that Chevalier had approached Oppenheimer about passing information on the atomic bomb to George Eltenton, a scientist with Soviet connections employed by the Shell Oil Company. Oppenheimer's response to questions regarding this encounter plagued him afterwards and damaged him in the AEC hearing. Although it remains unclear what actually happened, Sherwin and Bird use events surrounding this encounter to reveal much about the characters of both men.

In addition to the exhaustive information on Oppenheimer, the authors provide interesting details on many of the persons whose lives intersected with his. These include General Leslie Groves; physicists Hans Bethe, Ernest Lawrence, and Edward Teller; AEC commissioners David Lilienthal and Lewis Strauss; his wife, Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer, and, as mentioned above, his fellow academic and friend, Haakon Chevalier. For those with a desire to better understand this man who was influential in bringing humankind into the nuclear age and who then struggled with its impact on society, this book is a must. It puts all the other works on Oppenheimer into their proper perspectives.