Book cover of The Pope of Physics: Enrico Fermi and the Birth of the Atomic Age

Book description

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice

Named a Best Book of the Year by Bloomberg (Chosen by Philip Tetlock), Booklist’s Top 10 Science Books of the Year, and Shortlisted for Physics World’s Book of the Year

A Major Biography of the Nobel Prize–Winning Physicist, Enrico Fermi, a Leading…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Pope of Physics as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Working on the H bomb occupied only a small part of Fermi's long, productive career (and, accordingly, only a small part of this biography), but for a couple of years, it was an important part of his life, and he was an important contributor to its success.

I worked with Fermi on the H bomb.

If you love The Pope of Physics...

Ad

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like The Pope of Physics?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Pope of Physics.

Browse books like The Pope of Physics

Book cover of Oppenheimer: Portrait of an Enigma
Book cover of Dark Sun: The Making Of The Hydrogen Bomb
Book cover of Plutonium: A History of the World's Most Dangerous Element

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,277

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Pope of Physics, you might also like...

Book cover of The Bridge: Connecting The Powers of Linear and Circular Thinking

The Bridge by Kim Hudson,

The Bridge provides a compassionate and well researched window into the worlds of linear and circular thinking. A core pattern to the inner workings of these two thinking styles is revealed, and most importantly, insight into how to cross the distance between them. Some fascinating features emerged such as, circular…

Book cover of And Then They Were Gone: Teenagers of Peoples Temple from High School to Jonestown

And Then They Were Gone by Ron Cabral,

Of the 918 Americans who died in the shocking murder-suicides of November 18, 1978, in the tiny South American country of Guyana, a third were under eighteen. More than half were in their twenties or younger.

The authors taught in a small high school in San Francisco where Reverend Jim…

5 book lists we think you will like!