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Judging Edward Teller: A Closer Look At One Of The Most Influential Scientists Of The Twentieth Century

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 life: 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. The author 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.

Hardcover: 575 pages

Publisher: Prometheus Books; First Printing edition (October 12, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1616142219

ISBN-13: 978-1616142216

Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #649,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #327 in Books > History > Military > Weapons & Warfare > Nuclear #342 in Books > Science & Math > Physics > Nuclear Physics #1228 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Scientists

"Judging Edward Teller: A Closer Look at one of the Most Influential Scientists of the Twentieth Century", Authored by Istvan Hargittai. Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY 2010. ISBN: 978-1-61614-221-6. HC 575/456. 9 ¼" x 6 ¼". Table Contents 12 Chaps., 4 pgs., Frwd. 3 pgs., Preface 8 pgs., Afterword (R. Garwin) 4 pgs., Timeline E.T. 4 pgs., Ackn. 3 pgs., Biographical names 20 pgs., Notes 60 pgs., Index 27 pgs. Inveiglements: 51 crisp B & W photos of the principle players, antagonists, protagonists, supporting cast and their stage including atomic and thermo-nuclear bomb detonations.Author Istvan Hargittai, a Prof. of Chem. at Budapest Univ. & member of both Hungarian & Norwegian Academies of Science, authored more than a half-dozen books on world-renowned scientists, Nobel Laureates and the like, and is/was personally acquainted with many he wrote about, including personal interviews with E. Teller.Having read most of Hargittai's previous publications, I concluded "Judging Edward Teller" (JET) was a special work of love for the author: it reveals an unwaveringly true, scholarly journalistic scrutiny of Teller's life from cradle to grave. It details his passage from Hungary to Germany, then to the United States and its research institutions. In time, he became "Father of the Hydrogen Bomb", sought unprincipled entry (for a scientist) into military politics, and embarked on an overly passionate crusade to provide optimum security for the US against Russia.Hargittai clearly demonstrates hesitancy to lay blame or take sides on the many critical issues and scientists who came together to work on the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos, largely under Dr. Robert J.

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