The General and the Genius

May 11, 2015
Timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Trinity Test, the detonation of the first atomic bomb, Kunetka shares the story of its development. Having previously written on the subject (1978’s City of Fire and 1981’s Oppenheimer, Year of Risk), Kunetka here uses original records and correspondence to produce a fast-paced recounting of the two and a half year Manhattan Project. He sets this narrative apart by focusing on the relationship between the two key leaders of the project: Gen. Leslie Richard “Dick” Groves, director of the Manhattan Project, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, director of the Los Alamos Laboratory. Groves was from a middle-class family, authoritarian, brusque, and focused on his mission. Oppenheimer was wealthy, charismatic, liberal, and focused on academic understanding. Despite the tremendous pressures of war, these two very different men worked together in relative harmony. Kunetka highlights the unlikeliness of their positive relationship and attributes it to the qualities they shared: both were intelligent, self-aware, patriotic, and capable of prodigious amounts of work. 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.

April 15, 2015
Former University of Texas vice president Kunetka (Shadow Man, 1988, etc.) follows the long road to the atom bomb. In this nearly 500-page book, the author has plenty of room to explore both the planning and building of the atom bomb. He begins with short biographical sketches of his two primary subjects, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967) and Gen. Leslie Richard Groves (1896-1970) of the Army Corps of Engineers, who, in addition to heading the Manhattan project operation, also oversaw the building of the Pentagon. Although billed as the history of "the unlikely partnership that built the atom bomb," that story is sometimes buried beneath the large cast of secondary characters. However, the narrative is often 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. The author also communicates both the urgency and the unpredictability of the entire operation. When Kunetka focuses on the interaction between Oppenheimer and Groves, he clearly illustrates their unique dynamic and the impressive productivity of their working relationship. However, given the sheer volume of information, those instances are few and far between. More often, Oppenheimer and Groves are footnotes to each other's stories, while other men and women become the focus of each section. The book works best as an overview of the Los Alamos operation and the Manhattan project rather than an examination of Oppenheimer and Groves. An accessible and expansive look at the development of the atom bomb, but those looking for a deeper understanding of Oppenheimer and Groves should look elsewhere-either Ray Monk's Robert Oppenheimer (2013) or Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin's American Prometheus (2005).

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May 1, 2015

By the middle of 1943, the U.S. military, in the throes of World War II, had a straightforward assignment: construct a workable atomic bomb by the summer of 1945. A remarkable force of several thousand scientists and other military personnel worked ceaselessly to design, develop, and test a weapon that would harness the power of the universe. Leading the efforts were two men who were strikingly different in temperament and personality but yoked together in their work toward a common goal. Leslie Richard Groves (1896-1970) was the gruff and impatient military officer, determined to finish any task. J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-67), a chain-smoking intellectual, was comfortable with the interdisciplinary nature of physics, metallurgy, chemistry, ordnance, and engineering. Despite their differences, Groves and Oppenheimer forged a bond that enabled the United States to produce the atomic bombs that leveled the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Kunetka, a former University of Texas vice president, has crafted 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.--Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames

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