Summary
Often referred to as the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer's work in the field of theoretical physics changed the world as we knew it. Working in Los Alamos, New Mexico during the Second World War, the Manhattan Project and the scientific advancements achieved there helped bring an end to WW2 - but at what cost? With Oppenheimer's life and work now being immortalized in Christopher Nolan's latest epic 'Oppenheimer,' what do we actually know about the man behind the Manhattan Project, and what legacy did he leave behind?
In this episode, James welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning author (and historical advisor to the film) Kai Bird to the podcast to talk about his book 'American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.' Examining Kai's own research and delving into over 150 first-hand accounts, declassified FBI files, and archives across the globe, we explore who Robert J. Oppenheimer was and whether he truly changed the world as we knew it.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Picture this, static cars, idling engines, angry horns. |
| 0:08.0 | Now, picture you, zooming past it all, light and breezy. |
| 0:15.0 | Ah, the sweet feeling of whizzing past traffic. |
| 0:20.0 | Book your train journey via Avanti westcoast.co. UK. |
| 0:25.0 | avante west coast feel good travel. |
| 0:29.0 | It's the most highly anticipated film of the year, if not the decade, Oppenheimer, |
| 0:39.4 | an epic thriller that delves deep into the psyche of a singular American mind, the mind of J Robert Oppenheimer, |
| 0:46.8 | the father of the atomic bomb. The film is directed by no one less than legendary director Christopher Nolan and it stars |
| 0:54.7 | Killian Murphy Emily Blunt Matt Damon Robert Downey Jr. Florence Pugh |
| 0:59.5 | Josh Hartnett Casey Affleck Remy Malik and Kenneth Branner to name but a few. |
| 1:05.6 | It's based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book, American Prometheus, The Triumph and Tragedy of |
| 1:10.9 | J Robert Oppenheimer by Ky Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. |
| 1:15.2 | I'm your host, James Patton Rogers. |
| 1:17.4 | This is warfare and never one to disappoint. |
| 1:20.0 | I sat down with the author of American Prometheus, Kai Bird, to discuss the rise and fall of Oppenheimer. |
| 1:27.9 | We also talk about the decades of research that went into the book and of course we go into |
| 1:32.3 | detail about what the film is like and what it was like working with |
| 1:36.5 | Christopher Nolan. I know you're going to love this one so remember you can access all of our |
| 1:41.4 | episodes one day early and completely add free by |
| 1:44.8 | subscribing to history hit via the link in the show notes. But now here is the Pulitzer |
| 1:49.6 | prize-winning author Kai Bird on Oppenheimer. |
| 1:59.0 | Hi, Kai, |
... |
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