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. 'A beautifully organized
collection of letters and reminiscences ... The editors have interviewed
those who knew and worked with him, stirred in the necessary explanatory
background, and produced an account, both scholarly and highly readable,
which throws fresh light on a man who will probably always remain
something of an enigma. Amid devotional defense and almost rabid attack,
their book is a model of objectivity.' New York Times Book RevieW 'An
intimate, carefully documented, and honest book.'