9 Books to Read After Watching Oppenheimer

This bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning biography inspired the major motion picture, and this literary feat delivers a riveting look at Robert Oppenheimer’s life and his efforts to build the atomic bomb. One of our booksellers, Sallye L, describes the book as “An epic and intimate tale of a complex, consequential life… a grand page turner from start to finish.”

Learn more about The Father of the Atomic Bomb in this unforgettable narrative about Oppenheimer’s talent, drive and enduring impact. A detailed portrait of the enigmatic scientist, Robert Oppenheimer is a gripping biography of a man at war with his need for power — and his conscience.  

Pick up this graphic book that gives you a new perspective on the history of the atomic bomb. Taking readers directly into a nuclear reaction and the process of building the weapon, this is a powerful rendering of the events leading up to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and lingering effects of the invention. 

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, The Making of the Atomic Bomb introduces the science, the people and the cultural effects of nuclear weaponry. This fascinating and comprehensive history vividly relays the events spanning the discovery of nuclear fission in the 19^th century to the Manhattan Project. 

The Girls of Atomic City tells of the ambitious and courageous young women who lived in Oak Ridge, Tennessee who unknowingly helped the development of the atomic bomb. Digging into the intimate details of the lives of these women, Denise Kiernan reveals the impact of a small town on the Manhattan Project.   

David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography is a meticulously researched account of Truman’s monumental presidency. Meet the complex man who faced unprecedented challenges during an especially turbulent time in history.  

A tense and propulsive narrative of the 116 days leading up to the bombing of Hiroshima, Countdown 1945 blends facts about the atomic bomb with a look at the lives of American and Japanese civilians during the war. This bestselling book reads like a taut thriller and gives readers insight into what led to Truman’s authorization of the attack months into his presidency.

Road to Surrender is a surprisingly moving account of the three men involved with the decisions surrounding the atomic bomb and Japan’s surrender. Drawing on new access to diaries, this book gives us a closer look at the immense pressures these men felt. 

Pulitzer Prize-winner John Hersey chronicles the stories of six individuals through the devastation and aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing in this iconic piece of reportage. A vivid and eloquent narrative about the survivors, Hiroshima is an unforgettable and compelling book about the worst manmade disaster in history.