The General and the Genius, James Kunetka
The General and the Genius, James Kunetka
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The General and the Genius
Groves and Oppenheimer—the Unlikely Partnership That Built the Atom Bomb

Author: James Kunetka

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Unabridged: 14 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/03/2015

Synopsis

Two ambitious men. One historic mission.With a blinding flash in the New Mexico desert in the summer of 1945, the world was changed forever. The bomb that ushered in the atomic age was the product of one of history’s most improbable partnerships. The General and the Genius reveals how two extraordinary men pulled off the greatest scientific feat of the twentieth century.Leslie Richard Groves of the Army Corps of Engineers, who had made his name by building the Pentagon in record time and under budget, was made overlord of the impossibly vast scientific enterprise known as the Manhattan Project. His mission: to beat the Nazis to the atomic bomb. So he turned to the nation’s preeminent theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer—the chain-smoking, martini-quaffing son of wealthy Jewish immigrants, whose background was riddled with communist associations—Groves’ opposite in nearly every respect. In their three-year collaboration, the iron-willed general and the visionary scientist led a brilliant team in a secret mountaintop lab and built the fearsome weapons that ended the war but introduced the human race to unimaginable new terrors. And at the heart of this most momentous work of World War II is the story of two extraordinary men—the general and the genius.

About James Kunetka

James Kunetka is a bestselling novelist and the author of two previous books about Los Alamos and the Manhattan Project. As a consultant at Los Alamos with top-secret clearance, he evaluated classified documents in the archives for their historical value. He is retired from the University of Texas at Austin.

About Malcolm Hillgartner

Malcolm Hillgartner is an accomplished actor, writer, and musician. Named an AudioFile Best Voice of 2013 and the recipient of several Earphones Awards, he has narrated over 250 audiobooks.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Pam on November 06, 2023

More readers may be familiar with American Prometheus by Kai Bird than this book by James W. Kunetka. Bird’s book was used as the background for the 2023 film Oppenheimer. I decided to read The General and the Genius before reading Bird’s book (not read yet). By title this one promises to be a biogr......more

Goodreads review by Micah on January 22, 2021

THE GENERAL AND THE GENIUS by James Kunetka is a wonderful book that shines light on two incredible men and their massive contributions to one of the most important events of the twentieth century. Kunetka beautifully weaves together aspects of biography, military history, and science, which forms a......more

Goodreads review by Girish on February 02, 2024

This is one of those history books that objectively sets a debate straight. The episode focussing on the lives of the people behind the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is captured in detail with a lot of context. Arguably the most debated product of science and war has been the atomic bomb. The......more

Goodreads review by Morgan on April 11, 2021

The story of the Manhattan project, with the particular focus on the unlikely but epic working relationship between General Leslie Graves and Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. Graves was a pragmatic conservative hard nosed prick engineer who bullied his people, thousands of people into achieving insanely diff......more

Goodreads review by Susan on May 26, 2018

I couldn't put this book down. Robert J. Oppenheimer and General Groves certainly made an unlikely team as they brought the Manhattan project to fruition. I'm still in awe of the science behind the atomic bomb and how well its secret was kept throughout its development. It certainly altered the hist......more

Quotes

“Narrator Malcolm Hillgartner’s timbre, intonation, and clarity suggest those of a radio announcer from the early twentieth-century period in which these events take place…Hillgartner’s delivery is confident and direct as General Groves advocates a no-nonsense military approach and Professor Oppenheimer focuses on the minute scientific details.” AudioFile

“Kunetka highlights the unlikeliness of their positive relationship and attributes it to the qualities they shared…He also simplifies the physics to be understandable to lay readers. This is an entertaining and informative account of a time of great tension, great discovery, and great accomplishment.” Publishers Weekly

“A wonderful book that captures the creative tension at Los Alamos National Laboratory between 1943 and 1945. Verdict: This valuable dual biography of two exceptional men is a worthy addition to the ever-expanding literature on the development of the atomic bomb. Recommended for all collections.” Library Journal

“A fascinating look at one of the pivotal moments in both military and human history, and Kunetka deftly weaves together science, politics, and personal color to bring to life the extraordinary circumstances facing his subjects…An accessible and expansive look at the development of the atom bomb.” Kirkus Reviews

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