Dubbed the "father of the atomic bomb," J. Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist who gained notoriety for the role he played in the Manhattan Project and the creation of the very first nuclear weapon. After the atomic bomb was successfully developed, it was deployed by the United States to destroy the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in history’s only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.
In the aftermath, Japan surrendered, effectively ending World War II, but repercussions from the nuclear explosions reverberated for decades to come. Oppenheimer himself had his reservations about the bomb and its usage, and was critical of the idea of nuclear warfare, causing the government to question his loyalties. A complex man in a complex position, Oppenheimer—as well as the various complicated issues surrounding nuclear weapons that he came to represent—is a difficult figure to understand without ample research and proper contextualization.
On July 21, his story hits the big screen with the biopic Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography by and . The film stars Cillian Murphy as the titular scientist, with a star-studded supporting cast including Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Rami Malek, Florence Pugh, and Kenneth Branagh. For those curious about history or looking to build a better understanding of Oppenheimer’s role in the emergence of the nuclear age, we’ve got some great listens to queue up as you prepare to see Oppenheimer or to further boost your comprehension after the credits roll.
