Robert Oppenheimer: Dark Prince

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-- Rummel has combined a brief ac count of his subject's life with numerous de scriptions, clarified by simple diagrams, of the experiments of other scientists that made the development of the atomic bomb possible. One gets from this only a broad outline of Oppen heimer's special abilities and the political cli mate that shaped his life, but a fairly clear overview of atomic physics in the first half of the 20th century. The format, with its inter spersed black-and-white photos and diagrams, is accessible, but the proofreading could be improved. Rebecca Larsen's Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb (Watts, 1988) takes a dif ferent approach, treating Oppenheimer and his political problems in much greater detail but omitting most of the science, and gather ing all of her photos (no diagrams) into a cen tral section. Which book is seen as the pri mary and which as the supplementary biography will depend on whether political or scientific history is considered more important for a given collection. --Margaret Chatham, formerly at Smithtown Library, NY

Candace Smith

The moody, brilliant physicist credited with developing the atomic bomb is profiled in this straightforward, objective biography. Born into a wealthy, intellectual family in the early 1900s, a time of budding technology, Oppenheimer was an excellent student but had few friends. Rummel recounts the scientist's growing interest in atomic theory and explains to readers in fairly accessible terms the scientific and historic developments that influenced his studies and work. While not making excuses for Oppenheimer's arrogance or the devastating destruction caused by the bomb, the author helps students understand the climate of intellectual and patriotic fervor that promoted the bomb's development and the decision to deploy the weapon against Japan. Oppenheimer's eventual downfall and subsequent appeal for peace among nuclear powers conclude the evenhanded study.