Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer
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398. ‘It was clearly’: Bethe, interview with Jeremy Bernstein, quoted Bernstein (1981), 77
398. ‘would be a quite useless military weapon’: JRO to LRG, 1.1.1944, from the files of Robert Serber, quoted Bernstein (2003), 249
398. ‘since it has been’: S & W, 270
398. ‘Bohr at Los Alamos was marvellous’: JRO, ‘Niels Bohr Lecture 3’, 11 (1963), JRO papers, LOC
399. ‘was to bring about’: Hawkins (1946), 28–9
399. ‘They didn’t need my help’: Rhodes (1988), 525
399. ‘a conservative, dour and remarkably sweet man’: JRO, ‘Niels Bohr Lecture 3’, 8 (1963), JRO papers, LOC
399. While he was in Washington: Rhodes (1988), 525
400. Bohr now believed: what follows is based on Frankfurter’s summary of the views Bohr expressed to him, quoted Rhodes (1988), 526
400. ‘shared the hope’: quoted ibid.
400. ‘worried him to death’: ibid.
400. ‘this devastating weapon’: quoted ibid., 528
400. ‘on no account’: ibid.
400. ‘where everything’: ibid., 529
401. ‘It was perfectly absurd’: ibid., 530
401. ‘I did not like the man’: ibid.
401. ‘the suggestion’: ibid., 537
401. ‘The President and I’: ibid.
401. ‘This was not funny’: JRO, ‘Niels Bohr Lecture 3’, 14 (1963), JRO papers, LOC
402. Colonel Pash was able to enter Rome: Powers (1994), 304
402. able to interrogate: ibid., 358
402. in November 1944: ibid., 366–73
403. ‘disagreeable shock’: Rotblat (1985), 18
403. ‘You realise of course’: Rotblat, interview with Powers, 20.5.1988, quoted Powers (1994), 473. The same story is told in Rotblat (1985), but without direct quotation.
403. ‘Until then’: Rotblat (1985), 18
403. ‘I believe your people’: Pharr Davis (1969), 181
403. ‘the most exclusive club’: ibid., 184
403. ‘I found a spirit of Athens’: ibid., 185
403. ‘By the grace of God’: ibid.
404. ‘worked at physics’: ibid., 183
404. ‘Oppenheimer could understand everything’: ibid., 182
404. ‘He could understand anything’: ibid.,
405. ‘the neutron number’: Hawkins (1946), 71
405. ‘the time between fissions’: ibid.
405. ‘extremely unlikely’: ibid.
406. ‘You see’: Rhodes (1988), 500
406. ‘dead in the water’: ibid., 492
407. What Seaborg pointed out: see Rhodes (1988), 548
408. ‘frustrations’: Christman (1998), 143
409. published a book: Atom Bombs: The Top Secret Inside Story of Little Boy and Fat Man by John Coster-Mullen, self-published (2006)
410. Coster-Mullen’s hobby was model-making: see David Samuels, ‘Atomic John’, New Yorker, 15 December 2008, http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12/15/081215fa_fact_samuels
410. Oppenheimer broke the news: see Hoddeson et al. (1993), 240
410. ‘Do you think’: ibid.
410. ‘went just as white’: ibid.
411. a team of just eight people: ibid., 7
411. ‘It seems to me’: Christman (1998), 126
412. ‘in about the manner’: Hoddeson et al. (1993), 87–8
413. ‘an occasional visit’: ibid., 131
413. ‘woke everybody up’: ibid.
413. ‘Why didn’t you tell me’: ibid.
413. Oppenheimer gave reasons: ibid., 134
413. ‘there is less danger’: ibid.
413. ‘both Groves and Conant’: ibid., 135
414. ‘partly’: ibid., 137
414. ‘The situation is a mess’: Christman (1998), 137
414. When he eventually joined Los Alamos: see Hoddeson et al. (1993), 139
415. Apparently, the hope was: see ibid., 419, footnote 4
415. ‘prime objective’: JRO to LRG, 25.3.1944, quoted Herken (2002), 116
415. ‘At that time’: Peierls (1985), 187
416. ‘into the technical aspects’: JRO to LRG, 14.2.1944, S & W, 272
416. Teller was appointed: Hoddeson et al. (1993), 157
416. ‘the great and increased urgency’: ibid., 160
416. ‘Hydrodynamics of Implosion, Super’: see Hawkins (1946), 84
416. ‘The next morning’: Teller (2001), 175
417. ‘I want you’: ibid., 177
417. ‘seemed far too difficult’: ibid.
417. ‘as physicists’: ibid., 176
417. ‘I much prefer’: ibid., 177
417. ‘I was a little hurt’: ibid.
418. ‘greatest urgency’: JRO to LRG, 1.5.1944, quoted White (2001), 218
418. on 3 June 1944: Hoddeson et al. (1993), 162
418. ‘There is an element of comfort’: Peierls (1985), 200
418. major breakthrough: see Hoddeson et al. (1993), 163–9
418. ‘a completely untried and undeveloped method’: Hawkins (1946), 91
419. ‘not a single experimental result’: ibid., 143
419. ‘fascination with organizational charts’: Ulam (1991), 156
419. Christy suggested: Hoddeson et al. (1993), 307–8
420. ‘RaLa method’: ibid., 268–71
420. ‘They were kids’: Goodchild (1980), 119
420. ‘We had reveille at six’: ibid.
421. Greenglass had studied mechanical engineering: Schecter (2002), 175–9
422. ‘the inexcusable Greenglass case’: ITMO, 261, 262
422. ‘He is certainly’: ibid., 278
422. ‘in any way’: ibid., 280
422. Theodore Hall: most of my information concerning Hall comes from Albright and Kunstel (1997)
422. When his mother asked: Albright and Kunstel (1997), 35
423. ‘We were turning out’: ibid., 120
423. ‘It seemed to me’: ibid., 90
423. ‘Now we have our bomb’: Hoddeson et al. (1993), 271
424. met Harry Gold in Boston: see Albright and Kunstel (1997), 123, and Rhodes (1996), 152–5
424. he simply denied everything: Albright and Kunstel (1997), Chapters 24–5
424. ‘in essence’: ibid., 289
425. ‘She didn’t get along very well’: Goodchild (1980), 127
425. ‘one of the few people’: Conant (2005), 180
425. ‘very bewitching’: ibid., 181
425. ‘Everybody was aware of it’: ibid.
425. ‘I was young’: ibid., 182
425. ‘It was known’: Goodchild (1980), 128
426. ‘would go off on a shopping trip’: ibid.
426. left Los Alamos for Pittsburgh: see B & S, 263
426. ‘It was all very strange’: ibid., 264
426. ‘Of course not’: ibid.
426. ‘X-2 Development, Engineering, Tests’: see Hawkins (1946), 240
426. ‘Trinity Project’: ibid., 241
427. ‘Why I chose the name’: JRO to LRG, 20.10.1962, quoted S & W, 290
427. Lieutenant H.C. Bush: see Szasz (1984), 37–8
427. Groves announced: see Hoddeson et al. (1993), 312
428. ‘spoke very quietly’: S & W, 287
428. ‘We have been living’: ibid., 288
429. dress rehearsal: Hoddeson et al. (1993), 360–2
429. ‘it was recognised’: Groves (1962), 264
430. Oppenheimer hosted: S & W, 291
430. The minutes of these meetings: see Stoff et al. (1991), 97–103
430. ‘From the psychological point of view’: ibid., 100
430. ‘is a good radar target’: ibid.
430. ‘obtaining the greatest psychological effect’: ibid., 102
430. the minutes reveal: ibid., 105–20
430. ‘expressed the view’: ibid., 106
431. ‘It might be wise’: ibid., 112
431. ‘effect of t
he bombing’: ibid., 117
431. ‘several strikes’: ibid.
431. figure of 20,000: ibid., 122
431. ‘After much discussion’: ibid., 117
431. ‘the ancient capital of Japan’: Groves (1962), 273
431. ‘and had been’: ibid., 274
431. ‘On the other hand’: ibid., 275
432. ‘There was’: ibid.
432. Robert Wilson remembers: see interview with Wilson in Palevsky (2000), Chapter 5, especially 135–7
432. ‘Handling of Undesirable Scientists’: Stoff et al. (1991), 118
432. ‘stated that’: ibid.
432. the political and social implications of the bomb: for Szilard’s attempts to stop the US from using the atom bombs, see Baggott (2009), Chapter 15, Rhodes (1988), Chapter 18, and Lanouette (1994), Chapter 18.
433. ‘general demeanor’: Lanouette (1994), 266
433. ‘The atomic bomb is shit’: ibid.
433. ‘Don’t you think’: ibid., 266–7
433. the Franck Report: reproduced in full in Stoff et al. (1991), 140–7
433. 12 June 1945: see Compton to Stimson, 12.6.1945, ibid., 138–9
433. ‘international agreement’: ibid., 143
434. ‘the eyes’: ibid., 144
434. ‘Nuclear bombs’: ibid., 146
434. ‘If the United States’: ibid.
434. a memo dated 16 June 1945: ibid., 149–50
434. ‘It is clear’: ibid., 150
435. ‘opportunity of saving’: ibid.
435. ‘We find ourselves’: ibid.
435. ‘the weapon’: R. Gordon Arenson, memo to George L. Harrison, 25.6.1945, ibid., 157
435. ‘there would be considerable advantage’: see George L. Harrison, memo to Stimson, 26.6.1945, ibid., 160
435. ‘I understand’: Lanouette (1994), 269
435. ‘to rule that’: ibid., 175
435. ‘However small’: ibid., 270, Teller (2001), 204–5
435. ‘The fact that’: Teller (2001), 205
436. ‘made good sense to me’: ibid.
436. ‘in a way’: ibid., 206
436. ‘What do they know’: ibid.
436. ‘our political leaders’: ibid.
436. ‘Of course’: Lanouette (1994), 271
436. opinion poll: see Stoff et al. (1991), 173
437. Truman made the decision: see Rhodes (1988), 651
437. ‘Proposed Program for Japan’: Stoff et al. (1991), 168–70
437. ‘giving them a warning’: ibid., 168
437. ‘Japan is not’: ibid., 169
437. ‘we should add’: ibid., 170
438. ‘This hour’: Groves (1962), 293
438. ‘set the example’: ibid.
438. ‘South 10,000’: see Szasz (1984), 31
438. ‘Every five or ten minutes’: Groves (1962), 294
438. Samuel Allison started the countdown: Szasz (1984), 82
438. ‘I never realized’: ibid.
439. ‘My first impression’: Groves (1962), 296
439. ‘These plans’: ibid., 297–8
439. ‘We knew the world’: The Day After Trinity (1980), directed by John H. Else, KTEH television
439. ‘I am all-powerful Time’: Bhagavad Gita, Penguin Classics (1962), 92
439. the famous translation: see Arnold (1993)
439. ‘Death am I’: Ryder (2004), 88
440. ‘Dr Oppenheimer’: Groves (1962), 436–7
440. ‘Some people’: Szasz (1984), 90
440. ‘I think we just said’: The Day After Trinity (1980), directed by John H. Else, KTEH television
440. ‘A loud cry filled the air’: B & S, 309
440. ‘Our first feeling’: Szasz (1984), 91
440. ‘he seemed shrunken’: ibid.
440. ‘thrilled’: ibid., 90
440. ‘I’ll never forget his walk’: Goodchild (1980), 163, B & S, 308
440. ‘The war is over’: Norris (2002), 405
440. a betting pool: see Rhodes (1988), 656
441. ‘My God’: Szasz (1984), 85
441. ‘remotely located’: ibid.
441. ‘Operated on this morning’: Stoff et al. (1991), 183
441. ‘Doctor Groves’: Szasz (1984), 145
441. ‘tremendously pepped up’: ibid., 146
441. ‘For the first time in history’: Stoff et al. (1991), 188
442. ‘deposited its dust’: ibid., 189
442. ‘awesome roar’: ibid., 191
442. ‘The feeling’: ibid., 192
442. ‘Herculean project’: ibid.
442. ‘a nation’: ibid., 195
442. ‘beginning to feel’: ibid.
442. ‘They were immensely pleased’: ibid., 203–4
442. ‘unanimous in thinking’: ibid., 205
14. Los Alamos 3: Heavy with Misgiving
443. ‘now with our new weapon’: Stoff et al. (1991), 211–12
443. ‘I casually mentioned’: Truman (1955), 416
443. ‘will deliver’: Groves (1962), 308
443. Potsdam Declaration: Stoff et al. (1991), 215–6
443. ‘The prodigious land, sea and air forces’: ibid., 215
444. ‘would stand’: ibid., 225
444. Radio Tokyo: ibid.
444. ‘Mokusatsu’: see Alperovitz (1996), Chapter 32
444. ‘They’re going to take this thing’: Pharr Davis (1969), 240
444. ‘Oh God’: Conant (2005), 318
444. ‘I just keep thinking’: ibid., 323. A slightly different version of the same recollection is in B & S, 314.
444. Spaatz cabled Washington: Rhodes (1988), 696
444. ‘Hiroshima should be given first priority’: ibid.
444. Farrell reported to Groves: ibid., 699
445. called a briefing: see Christman (1998), 1–2
445. ‘shorten the war’: Rhodes (1988), 701
445. Enola Gay set off from Tinian: the account of the Hiroshima raid that follows is based on those given in Christman (1998), Gordin (2007), Rhodes (1988) and Serber (1998).
445. ‘Fellows’: Rhodes (1988), 710
445. ‘We turned back’: ibid.
445. ‘a pot’: ibid., 711
445. ‘I was trying’: ibid.
446. ‘I just could not understand’: ibid., 717
446. a long article: see Hersey (1989)
446. ‘in the conviction’: New Yorker, 31 August 1946, quoted DeGroot (2005), 109
447. ‘He drove the boat’: Hersey (1989), 45
447. ‘Many of them’: Rhodes (1988), 718
447. ‘a woman with her jaw missing’: ibid., 721
447. ‘people with their bowels and brains coming out’: ibid.
447. ‘dead child’: DeGroot (2005), 88
447. ‘that Hiroshima had disappeared’: Rhodes (1988), 728
447. the official estimate: ibid.
447. the best estimate: see http://www.atomicarchive.com/Docs/MED/med_chp10.shtml, from which my figures were taken
448. ‘Deak to Farrell’: Christman (1998), 193
448. to find a cable: Groves (1962), 319
448. he went out to play tennis: ibid., 320
448. ‘The hours went by’: ibid., 321
448. ‘I went to sleep’: ibid., 322–3
448. It arrived in triumph: see Christman (1998), 194
448. ‘additional information’: Groves (1962), 323
448. ‘felt this strike’: ibid.
449. ‘I was eating lunch’: Truman (1955), 421
449. ‘Sixteen hours ago’: Donovan (1996), 97
450. ‘the achievement’: ibid., 98
450. ‘the Japanese’: Cohen (1983), 22
451. ‘Hahn was completely shattered’: Bernstein (2001), 115
451. ‘I don’t believe a word’: ibid., 116
451. ‘ten tons’: ibid., 117
451. ‘Here is the news’: ibid., 357
451. ‘By God’s mercy’: ibid., 361
451. ‘We were unable’: ibid., 121
452. ‘I am thankful’: ibid., 122
452. ‘I was asked’: ibid., 124
452. ‘You are probably’: Chevalier (1965), ix
452. ‘had often discussed’: Groves (1962), 342
452. ‘With the success’: Rhodes (1988), 738
453. On 8 August: ibid., 736
453. ‘after about 3 August’: see page 443
454. ‘Young man’: Groves (1962), 344
454. arrived at Kokura: Rhodes (1988), 740
454. The best estimate: see http://www.atomicarchive.com/Docs/MED/med_chp10.shtml
454. about 70,000: Rhodes (1988), 740
454. ordered him off the plane: Serber (1998), 113
454. ‘The only picture’: ibid., 114
454. ‘You have known’: ibid., 112
455. ‘our entire organization’: Groves (1962), 353
455. reported to General Marshall: Rhodes (1988), 743
455. ‘for by that time’: Groves (1962), 346
455. ‘any demand’: Rhodes (1988), 742
455. ‘the most cruel’: Stoff et al. (1991), 244
455. ‘massacring’: ibid.
455. ‘said the thought’: ibid., 245
455. ‘From the moment’: ibid., 247
456. ‘I cannot endure’: Rhodes (1988), 744
456. ‘the enemy’: ibid., 745
456. ‘Seldom, if ever’: quoted Hunner (2004), 77
456. ‘Let me tell you’: Serber (1998), 115
456. ‘Hey, Oppie’: Michelmore (1969), 113
456. ‘There’s surprisingly little excitement’: Serber (1998), 114
456. ‘A whole damn bunch’: Goodchild (1980), 169
457. ‘Few of us’: Frisch (1980), 177
457. ‘nervous wreck’: Herken (2002), 139
457. when Lawrence came to Los Alamos: ibid., 140
457. ‘There is every reason’: Hunner (2004), 82
457. ‘revulsion’: Smith (1965), 77
457. ‘The reasons’: Conant (2005), 330
458. ‘He smoked constantly’: ibid., 333
458. ‘We believe’: JRO to Stimson, 17.8.1945, Stoff et al. (1991), 255, S & W, 294
458. ‘had an opportunity’: JRO to EOL, 30.8.1945, S & W, 301
458. ‘felt reluctant’: ibid.
459. ‘Could all this be printed out’: Smyth (1989), ix
459. ‘Rather’: ibid.
459. ‘I had the fairly clear impression’: JRO to EOL, 30.8.1945, S & W, 301
459. ‘Secretary Byrnes’: Stoff et al. (1991), 256
460. ‘I can understand now’: Chevalier (1965), x
460. ‘The thing had to be done’: B & S, 319
460. ‘You will believe’: JRO to HWS, 26.8.1945, S & W, 297