American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin The book behind the film, literally. Quite a compelling read if you want to know more in rich detail about the man. A little defensive of him, but compelling.

The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes If American Prometheus is the book to read about just Oppenheimer, this is the book to read of the entire process around the making of the bomb and key characters, A little heavy on the science, but very fascinating.

Countdown 1945 by Chris Wallace and Mitch Weiss If you find something that is snappier and easier to read (the first two books are heavy!), this is the perfect book. It counts down the events of the 116 days leading to the dropping of the bomb. Reads like a thriller.

Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World by Lesley M.M. Blume The US did its best to ensure that people did not find out about the true damage caused by the the atom bomb. This book is all about the cover up and how one reporter ended it.

Hiroshima Nagasaki by Paul Ham There is a certain awe about the bomb and the world around it in Oppenheimer. This book rips the scientific curtain aside and shows the reader what the bomb did to the people it hit. Compulsory reading. Deeply disturbing though.

Hiroshima by John Hersey The one book everyone needs to read about the atom bomb. Oppenheimer and his team are not mentioned. This is simply one of the first reports about what the bomb really did to Hiroshima. A short, shattering book.