[(Judging Edward Teller)] [Author: Istvan Hargittai] published on

by István Hargittai

Many people know Edward Teller as the "Father of the H-Bomb." To his supporters he was a hero of the Cold War. To his detractors he was evil personified. Between these extremes was the life of the real man. In this definitive and comprehensive biography, a personal acquaintance of Teller’s presents a balanced portrait of the multifaceted and enigmatic scientist against the backdrop of a turbulent period of history. Taking pains to avoid bias and preconceptions, thr author critically examines Teller’s personality, family background, and the experiences that guided his actions—correcting many of the myths that others and Teller himself promulgated. Drawing for the first time on hitherto unknown archival material from Hungarian, American, and German sources, the author provides fresh insights that help the reader to understand Teller’s motivations, his relationships with friends and foes, and his driven personality. In addition to this research and his own memories of Teller, Hargittai has interviewed such prominent figures as Richard Garwin, Freeman Dyson, George A. Keyworth, and Wendy Teller (Edward Teller’s daughter), among others. The author reviews the significant facets of Teller’s his Jewish-Hungarian origins, forced emigrations, brilliance in science, and devotion to the defense of the United States. He discusses Teller’s ruthless Machiavellism in achieving his goals, which included his pivotal role in the creation of the hydrogen bomb and the second weapons laboratory at Livermore, as well as his damaging testimony against physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Teller’s peers viewed this testimony as a betrayal and, in effect, sent him into internal exile, which Hargittai describes as more tormenting to him than his previous emigrations. He notes that Teller was sometimes called "a monomaniac with many manias," such as his fierce opposition to nuclear test bans during the Cold War and, toward the end of his life, his role as propagandist for the Strategic Defense Initiative. Yet, his very excesses may have in fact contributed to the demise of the Soviet Union. Who was Edward Teller—the real "Dr. Strangelove," the driven crusader for the H-Bomb, the villain who destroyed Oppenheimer, or the devoted husband, loyal friend, patriot, and strongly idealistic scientist? This monumental work will reveal the contradictory nature of this complex man in all his strengths, flaws, and brilliance.

Genres: Biography, Science

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Istvan Hargittai is a University Professor at the Institute of General and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest Technical University. He is also a Research Professor and Head of Department at the Structural Chemistry Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences at Eötvös University, and is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Academia Europaea (London).

Reviews

[stella b]

Not something you should read if you know very little about Edward Teller. It is not super comprehensive regarding the minutia of his life and assumes you know some facts already. However, I believe this is great literature if you’re already fairly educated on him/nuclear history and want to read a biography that is more analytical than your typical in the personal and political senses. (If you’re *really* interested, I’d suggest reading Teller’s Memoirs first and then Hargittai’s book.)

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was essentially accurate, but very ponderous.
It was essentially uninspired.
Some facts were there, alas missing qualifying details.
I don't know why the author bothered writing this book.

Finally finished it! God what a chore.

I think the chapters covering Teller's support for SDI, and the whole history and background for SDI were very shallow. The author had no insight into the nuances, and convolutions of the whole "Star Wars" debacle.

Totally bland book!

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Titled appropriately; a substantial biography, but critical throughout. This turns it into a heavier read, and even for biography it is not short. Hargittai assumes a general familiarity with Teller's life, making this a poor choice for one's first Teller biography (oops). He frequently references far ahead of or behind the main narrative thread. Really can only be recommended for those interested in an exhaustive analysis.