“This is a big story. It’s the story of the creation—and theft—of the deadliest weapon ever invented.”

The book relates the story of one of the most important events in world history: the development of a weapon that can destroy humankind and most other life on the planet. It’s also a wartime saga, with the bomb’s discovery and invention carried out in hurried secrecy while giant military forces advance across continents, killing tens of millions.

“My life as a child did not prepare me for the fact that the world is full of cruel and bitter things.”

Robert Oppenheimer recalls his upbringing as a sickly youth who stayed home and read books while other kids played outside. Awkward socially but confident and determined in scientific matters, Oppenheimer deplores a world filled with greed and mismanagement. However, he even more earnestly despises the rise of Hitler, a dangerous tyrant whose plans for world domination threaten everything the scientist treasures. His story is not only that of someone captivated by the wonders of scientific discovery, but also of someone determined to prevent destructive forces from overrunning the world. The irony—that he oversees the creation of what is itself a highly destructive force—isn’t lost on him, and he hopes this new force can be set aside once it’s no longer needed. More than most others, he exemplifies the mixed Pride and Guilt Among the Weapon Makers.