OPPENHEIMER AND THE ATOMIC BOMB: Young Readers Edition of AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Eric S. Singer, Kai Bird, and Martin J. Sherwin, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, May 13, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 10 and up)
Learn about the scientist who headed the Manhattan Project in Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb, the young readers edition of American Prometheus, by Eric Singer.
This brand-new edition introduces the next generation to one of the twentieth century’s most iconic and complex global figures.
J. Robert Oppenheimer was a brilliant physicist who led the American effort to build the atomic bomb during World War II, and who later found himself confronting the moral consequences of the revolutionary weapon he helped create.
Readers of all ages will witness the rise and fall of a scientific and historical icon in this masterful new edition. Exploring his childhood, his secret work on the bomb, his central role in the Cold War, and his tragic downfall, this quintessential biography is history at its finest. Filled with dozens of photographs and updated information, this account is now available to a middle and high school audience. —Synopsis provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
In 2006, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin won a Pulitzer for their book, American Prometheus. The 2023 movie adaptation of the book, Oppenheimer, won multiple Oscars. Now, the book has been adapted with young readers in mind.
If the prologue of Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb doesn’t catch a reader’s attention, I don’t know what would. From those first pages to the end notes, the book is hard to put down.
Adapter Eric Singer doesn’t write down to his audience, but he does make the subject accessible, taking a more than 700-page biography down to a more manageable 300 pages. Chapters are fairly short — there are 42 in the book — and headings, photographs and boxed text offer resting points.
The main selling point of Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb, is, of course, the story. Oppenheimer was a compelling man, and the project he headed changed the world. This is a fascinating read that will appeal to history lovers, fans of biography and those interested in science. It would make a great addition to a classroom library.
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