Oliphant

The Australian Genius Who Developed Radar and Showed Oppenheimer How to Build The Bomb

By: Roland Perry

Narrated by: James Saunders

6th August 1945. The United States launches the world's first nuclear attack on Japan. J. Robert Oppenheimer will be remembered as the father of the bomb, but it was Australian physicist Sir Mark Oliphant and his lab who discovered how it could be built. Faced with Hitler's determination to acquire atomic weapons, Oliphant shared his secret research with Oppenheimer – a decision both would come to regret.

Oliphant's brilliance was not limited to atomic science, he was also central to the development of radar, which saved Britain from Nazi invasion. After the war, Oliphant's push against US nuclear dominance drew suspicion from the CIA.

Based on his interviews with Oliphant, bestselling author Perry traces his life from his humble beginnings in Adelaide, his early triumphs alongside Sir Ernest Rutherford, and his breakthrough work on radar and the Manhattan Project, through to his key role in establishing the Australian National University and his controversial governorship of South Australia.

Oliphant is a story of espionage, conflict, science and conscience, and a true Australian genius.

©2025 Roland Perry (P)2026 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'Genius, complex, authentic.' (Dr Matt Agnew, author of Is My Phone Reading My Mind?)

'This is a fascinating account of a brilliant Australian scientist who shaped history.' (David Dufty, author of Charles Todd's Magnificent Obsession)