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Superb book, perhaps the finest non-fiction book I've had the pleasure of reading. I love the way he is able to create a narrative that goes all the way back to

Superb book, perhaps the finest non-fiction book I've had the pleasure of reading. I love the way he is able to create a narrative that goes all the way back to H. G. Wells to find its roots. Rhodes' follow-up, "Dark Sun: The Making Of The Hydrogen Bomb", basically continues the story where TMAB left off. The narrative gets a bit more fractured and factual, focused on the question of how to safeguard nuclear weapons and what their political/military/diplomatic purpose is. But it does wrap up the J. Robert Oppenheimer story. Once one has read these two, I strongly recommend "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" [2] by Bird and Sherwin. Also extremely well written. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Sun-Making-Hydrogen-Bomb/dp/0684824140 https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Sun-Making-Hydrogen-Bomb/dp/0684... [2] https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-Triumph-Tragedy-Oppenheimer/dp/0375726268 https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-Triumph-Tragedy-O...

disantlor 8y ago
we have the same bookshelf apparently! have you read any other non-fiction greatest hits tomes, like Power Broker?
- atombender 8y ago
  The Power Broker is a great, huge read. Another good one that I got recently is Arabia Felix [1], a rather obscure Danish book from 1962 from NYRB. A minor classic. I'm not a war buff by any stretch, but I can recommend Antony Beevor. Sometimes his books devolve into exhausting, never-ending play-by-plays of tank and troop movements, but both Stalingrad and The Fall of Berlin [3] and were fascinating just for his ability to conjure up the time and place. Inside the Third Reich was similarly interesting, even it's known to be a flawed narrative. I also recently read Bad Blood, about Theranos, which was excellent. Literary-wise not quite on the same level, though. Got any recommendations? [1] https://www.npr.org/2017/06/17/531929925/in-the-refrains-of-arabia-felix-a-reminder-often-the-end-is-just-a-start https://www.npr.org/2017/06/17/531929925/in-the-refrains-of-... [2] https://www.amazon.com/Stalingrad-Fateful-1942-1943-Antony-Beevor/dp/0140284583 https://www.amazon.com/Stalingrad-Fateful-1942-1943-Antony-B... [3] https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Berlin-1945-Antony-Beevor https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Berlin-1945-Antony-Beevor
- vpribish 8y ago
  as we all have the same bookshelf here, the next brick over on mine is Daniel Yergin's "The Prize". amazing work on the history of oil
  - stochastician 8y ago
    "The Prize" is fantastic, as is the associated (7 hour!) PBS-produced documentary that's available in its entirety on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1stQW6i1Ko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1stQW6i1Ko The actual in-person interviews with oil execs who were in the room during nationalization are amazing!

disantlor 8y ago

we have the same bookshelf apparently! have you read any other non-fiction greatest hits tomes, like Power Broker?

atombender 8y ago
The Power Broker is a great, huge read. Another good one that I got recently is Arabia Felix [1], a rather obscure Danish book from 1962 from NYRB. A minor classic. I'm not a war buff by any stretch, but I can recommend Antony Beevor. Sometimes his books devolve into exhausting, never-ending play-by-plays of tank and troop movements, but both Stalingrad and The Fall of Berlin [3] and were fascinating just for his ability to conjure up the time and place. Inside the Third Reich was similarly interesting, even it's known to be a flawed narrative. I also recently read Bad Blood, about Theranos, which was excellent. Literary-wise not quite on the same level, though. Got any recommendations? [1] https://www.npr.org/2017/06/17/531929925/in-the-refrains-of-arabia-felix-a-reminder-often-the-end-is-just-a-start https://www.npr.org/2017/06/17/531929925/in-the-refrains-of-... [2] https://www.amazon.com/Stalingrad-Fateful-1942-1943-Antony-Beevor/dp/0140284583 https://www.amazon.com/Stalingrad-Fateful-1942-1943-Antony-B... [3] https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Berlin-1945-Antony-Beevor https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Berlin-1945-Antony-Beevor
vpribish 8y ago
as we all have the same bookshelf here, the next brick over on mine is Daniel Yergin's "The Prize". amazing work on the history of oil
- stochastician 8y ago
  "The Prize" is fantastic, as is the associated (7 hour!) PBS-produced documentary that's available in its entirety on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1stQW6i1Ko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1stQW6i1Ko The actual in-person interviews with oil execs who were in the room during nationalization are amazing!