Robert Oppenheimer: Letters and Recollections

Stanford Nuclear Age Series

by J. Robert Oppenheimer, Alice Smith (Editor), Charles Weiner (Editor)

Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967) is one of the few American scientists who have become public---and controversial---figures in the twentieth century. This book adds a new dimension to the Oppenheimer story by offering a look at the private man behind the public figure. It consists of letters spanning the period from his Harvard student days in 1922 to his departure from Los Alamos in 1945. The letters are supplemented by recollections of those who knew Oppenheimer and by his own recollections from an interview a few years before his death.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Science

411 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 1980

About the author

Julius Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is often called the "father of the atomic bomb" for his role in the Manhattan Project, the World War II project that developed the first nuclear weapons. The first atomic bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945 in the Trinity test in New Mexico; Oppenheimer remarked later that it brought to mind words from the Bhagavad Gita: "Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

After the war he became a chief adviser to the newly created United States Atomic Energy Commission and used that position to lobby for international control of nuclear power to avert nuclear proliferation and an arms race with the Soviet Union. After provoking the ire of many politicians with his outspoken opinions during the Second Red Scare, he had his security clearance revoked in a much-publicized hearing in 1954. Though stripped of his direct political influence he continued to lecture, write and work in physics. A decade later President John F. Kennedy awarded (and Lyndon B. Johnson presented) him with the Enrico Fermi Award as a gesture of political rehabilitation.

Oppenheimer's notable achievements in physics include the Born–Oppenheimer approximation for molecular wavefunctions, work on the theory of electrons and positrons, the Oppenheimer–Phillips process in nuclear fusion, and the first prediction of quantum tunneling. With his students he also made important contributions to the modern theory of neutron stars and black holes, as well as to quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and the interactions of cosmic rays. As a teacher and promoter of science, he is remembered as a founding father of the American school of theoretical physics that gained world prominence in the 1930s. After World War II, he became director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Reviews

[Nick Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

Continuing to feed my Oppenheimer obsession. Amazon 2008-05-03

[Brett Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are the type of person who is interested in reading a book of Oppie's letters you will love it, especially if you are interested in his early years. I found his insecure, oversharing, and a little dramatic letters from his late teens/early 20s especially charming and relatable. The editors were also able to speak with many of the letter recipients to add context and additional insight. Definitely worth a read if you are trying to learn more about him.

[Adomas Vasiliauskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this you get a new unexpected perception about Robert.. love it

[Mary D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. I loved reading this book.