The Development of the A-Bomb (and related matters such as quantum physics)
No doubt the arrival of the movie ‘Oppenheimer’ in 2023 stimulated many of us to read up on this transformative period of developments in applied science, specifically atomic physics. Astonishing, hair-raising, enthralling … here are some books, films and TV I have read/seen recently (Nov23 – Mar24) (I eventually watched the Nolan movie but was disappointed.)
Books (in no particular order).
- Ray Monk. 2012. Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Good on the science side. (Read this when it was published but have re-read it)
- Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. 2008. American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Good on Oppenheimer’s life before Los Alamos and the political/personal skullduggery of the tearing down of Oppenhiemer’s status.
- Jennet Conant. 2005. 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos.
An excellent book, very readable. Great detail about the social aspects of Los Alamos and the extraordinary role of Dorothy McKibbin in managing the ‘interface’ between the secret city and the war-time civil world from an office in Santa Fe. Fills in many of the gaps in the biographies. Excellent on the psychological impact of the Trinity test and the bombing of Japan; has important perspective on the post-war security hearings and aspects of Oppenheimer’s personality.
- Thomas Powers. 1993. Heisenberg’s War: The Secret History of the German Bomb.
A hair-raising story. In the biographies we learn only that the Allies were worried about Nazi progress on developing their own atomic weapons. This book makes you realise how real a threat that was. (NOt a great book because too much detail!) In the end the Nazi regime lacked the organisational finesse as well as visionary insight to make much progress. Speer’s attitude was key in dismissing the practical possibilities. Heisenberg, a key scientist for any attempt, seems at worst to have been, on the one hand a sincere patriot, but on the other, antagonistic towards the Nazis. He seems to have quite deliberately played down the possibility of constructing an atomic bomb but instead concentrated on the loner term possibilities for limitless energy supply though the development of reactors. This did not stop the Allies from worrying about what the Nazis were up to!
Startling is the extent to which there was a deep and genuine fear that while the Nazi’s own atom bomb programme was nowhere, the threat that bob payloads might use radioactive materials to poison land and people was taken very seriously indeed (especially after the development of the V1 and V2 rockets as delivery vehicles). Also note that Oppenheimer too had ‘cold-bloodedly’ drafted a scheme to poison German food supplies wht strontium. Such plans were much more feasible and practical in the absence of a bomb-programme.
It is a more exciting story than Oppenheimer’s given the amount of allied effort that went into intelligence work, as well as H’s lone ambivalence. It seems a little ironic that H was thought by more than a few to have been incompetent but hiding behind a moral posture, whereas Oppenheimer, who was competent, was ultimately ‘convicted’ by his moral position.
- Lanouette, William & Szilard, Bella. 2013. Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard, the Man Behind the Bomb.
A fascinating man, one of the ‘discoverers’ of the atomic fission chain reaction that started it all. A combination of genius, dilettante, trickster, and all round humanist who was one of the first to realise, and to campaign against, the terrifying implications of the atomic bomb.
- Ananyo Bhattacharya. 2021. The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann.
A truly startling figure and one can only agree with the epithet ‘visionary’. The book covers the range of Neumann’s work across mathematics, games theory, automata, computing, and of course his contributions to the atomic and hydrogen bomb projects. Very interesting stuff. Bhattacharya provides one of the more complete descriptions of the constituent parts of an atomic bomb – surprisingly complex and not a bomb in the conventional sense!).
In general, in some of the books listed above, Neumann does not get the acknowledgement he deserves for his work in quantum mechanics and atomic theory, but the sources in Bhattacharya’s well written and affirmative book can help to flesh that out. Good content on Neumann’s work on defining the ‘balance of power’ during the Cold War. While fascinating a lot of this is also very scary stuff.
This book provides a very good overview of the intellectual environment surrounding the scientific and political issues of a momentous period in human history.
(see also Labatut, The Maniac.)
- Gino Segre, 2007. Faust in Copenhagen.
More focus on the people behind the development of quantum physics, with more emphasis on Bohr. Interesting general background with biographical details. The author is the son of one of the lesser known protagonists.
- Benjamin Labatut, 2023. The Maniac.
A wonderfully written portrait of the development of the mathematics underlying quantum physics. An emphasis on John von Neumann. The final chapter is a valuable account of the emergence of ’AI’, preceded by chapters on von Neumann’s development of the fist computers and computing theory.
- Benjamin Labatut, 2020.When We Cease to Understand the World.
Like his later book, The Maniac, this too is a driving, dynamic description of the development of quantum physics 1900-1945.
TV Shows
- Oppenheimer (the movie: Christopher Nolan).
Very good on Trinity test and its aftermath. Less good on Oppenheimer’s personal background or the setting up of Los Alamos. Great cast.
- BBC TV, ‘Oppenheimer’. 1980.
Very good; brilliant performance from Sam Waterston. Covers the ground in a mere 7 episodes, so a bit of a run through the details but very good on the post-war security hearings. Available on iPlayer in the UK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0g3j9cp/oppenheimer
- Storyville: The Trials of Oppenheimer. 2009.
Good with face-to-face content with some of the participants. On iPlayer in UK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lpk70/storyville-the-trials-of-oppenheimer
- Manhattan. 2 series 2014-2015.
A very annoying production! While admiring the ‘creative non-fiction’ approach that it takes the series descends into creative absurdity. Forget about Los Alamos and then you can watch it on its own terms … Series 3 was cancelled, thank goodness! Available on Amazon Prime Video.
- The Day After Trinity. 1980.
Excellent archival content. Available on Amazon Prime Video