Skip to main content
Access to this video is a benefit for members through PBS Passport.

Up Next

Alex Prud'homme

Alex Prud'homme

Season 6 Episode 10
26:40
Episode 5: The Calling

The Calling

Season 4 Episode 5
53:05
When Whales Could Walk

When Whales Could Walk

Season 51 Episode 1
53:31
Back to Show
History with David Rubenstein

Kai Bird

Season 6 Episode 9

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist behind the atomic bomb, is a divisive figure in American history. Kai Bird provides a compelling account of Oppenheimer’s life, from his New York childhood to his Cold War career, and the moral dilemmas he faced in creating the most destructive weapon in history.

Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By
Season
Marie Arana
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:40
Marie Arana is the author of LatinoLand, to be published in 2024.
Jonathan Darman
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:40
Jonathan Darman is a former correspondent for Newsweek and the author of several books.
Leslie M. Harris
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:40
Leslie M. Harris is professor of history and African American studies at Northwestern.
Siddhartha Mukherjee
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:40
Siddhartha Mukherjee is a professor of medicine at Columbia University.
Craig L. Symonds
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:40
Craig L. Symonds is professor of history emeritus at the United States Naval Academy.
Richard Haass
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:40
Richard Haass is the author of The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.
Beverly Gage
Unlock with PBS Passport
26:40
Beverly Gage is professor of 20th-century American history at Yale University.
Robert A. Caro
26:40
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and National Humanities Medal recipient
Drew Gilpin Faust
26:40
Former president of Harvard University and author
Active loading indicator