Product Description

A biography of Michael Faraday (1791-1867), one of the giants of 19th century science and discoverer of electricity, who was at the centre of an extraordinary scientific renaissance in London. Faraday's life was truly inspirational. The son of a Yorkshire blacksmith who moved to London in 1789, he was a self-made, self-educated man whose public life was underpinned by his devotion to a minor Christian sect (the Sandemanians) and to his wife. He was also a fine writer and brilliant lecturer. This book is an exploration of his life, work and times (he was a pioneering scientific all-rounder who also experimented with electromagnetism, techniques for preserving meat and fish, optical glass, the safety lamp and the identification of iodine as a new element). It also tells the story of the dawn of the modern scientific age and interweaves Faraday's life with the groundbreaking work of the Royal Institution and other early scientists like Humphrey Davey, Charles Babbage, John Herschel and Mary Somerville.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30182 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
With his discoveries in electricity, magnetism and other fields Faraday is universally acknowledged as a giant of the 19th century and in this authoritative and lively account, Faraday, James Hamilton explains the nuts and bolts of these discoveries. What is less well known is that Faraday was a self-made, self-educated man who also belonged to a small, and now long-forgotten, fundamentalist Christian sect called the Sandemanians who rose to become a Deacon in the church in 1832, and an Elder in 1840. In fact Sandemanianism was the cornerstone of his life and "the mark against which he measured his conduct, attitudes and relationships" and--despite the fact that Faraday occupied a highly prestigious position at the centre of world science--he remained "submissive to the collective and coercive will of the Elders and the word of God". From a modern 21st century perspective it seems almost incredible that Faraday submitted to such treatment but, as Hamilton makes clear, the influence of Sandemanianism enabled Faraday to exercise incredible self-discipline which, in turn, fed his talent for clarity of thought and explication, while also winning hearts along the way.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is the manner of Faraday's rise through the scientific ranks and a major part of the story was his relationship with the most talented and powerfully charismatic scientific figure of the day, Sir Humphrey Davy. The manner in which Faraday gradually overtook Davy as Britain's most celebrated scientist and the personal jealousies and spite that he patiently endured along the way makes for fascinating reading. Hamilton manages to convey the sense of just how important Faraday was to the development of culture in the 19th century, but also how Faraday managed to combine—-though not without severe tension--his dedication to science with a love of art and an obedience to the teachings of the Church. Overall this is a very informative, clearly written and enjoyable read.--Larry Brown

Review
'Faraday could not have had a better biographer...comprehensive, lucid, unfailingly intelligent' Financial Times 'This lively new biography throws a different, highly illuminating beam on the forces that charged Faraday's imagination' Jenny Uglow, Sunday Times 'Full of rich and fascinating material Hamilton's biography humanises Faraday, and sets him convincingly in the context of Romanticism' Lisa Jardine, The Times 'This exemplary study adds new depth to our understanding of a brilliant and complex man' The Economist 'A delightful and well-illustrated account. Few historians of science write as well as Hamilton' Sunday Telegraph

Every now and then, a genius suddenly appears from nowhere, burns his progress across an age, and then vanishes. Michael Faraday was the son of a blacksmith. Apprenticed to a bookbinder, he heard Sir Humphrey Davy lecture, wrote him a fan letter and secured a position as his assistant. Self-taught, he became a scientist of great renown, proposing the electro-magnetic theory of light, discovering electro-magnetic induction (which led to the principle of the electric motor and dynamo), setting out the laws of electrolysis, discovering benzene, and inventing the instrument which contained the principle of the cinematograph. The author of this excellent biography concentrates on the strange influence of his religion. A strict Protestant, Faraday had great difficulty in reconciling the advances of science with the extreme narrowness of the Sandemanian sect. His scientific work was nevertheless crucial to the 20th century: he introduced the idea of space as the seat of mobile, flexible, ever-fluctuating electromagnetic forces, and thus created the conditions in which scientists could gradually arrive at the notion of the combination of space and movement and time, and the theory of relativity. Yet in all his life he never used mathematics more complicated than simple arithmetic. His interest in art is another area of his personality of which the author makes much, writing from the point of view of an art historian. Religion and art are strange pivots for a story of this kind, yet it works extremely well, highlighting aspects of Faraday's character neglected by earlier writers. (Kirkus UK)

Sunday Telegraph
'Hamilton...gives a sensitive insight into Faraday's unusually sweet nature, his remarkable lectures and his wide-ranging cultural interests.'

Customer Reviews

Faraday under the microscope
You don't have to be scientist or even have a scientific bent to enjoy this excellent study of one of the world's great minds. Michael Faraday is an intriguing figure and you slowly become drawn in to his story that the author tells sparingly but skilfully.

Faraday, son of a blacksmith, was apprenticed to a bookbinder and became captivated by the highly popular public science lectures of the charismatic Sir Humphrey Davy. He followed these perorations with great intensity, writing down everything and duly sending the burnished results to the great man himself. From there it was a short step to becoming Davy's under rated and rather abused assistant, and even for a while his valet.

But Faraday has the final satisfaction of surpassing even Davy himself in fame and honour. Indeed so self-effacing was he that the Royal Institute that employed him only woke up belatedly to find they had a world-class figure burrowing away in the basement laboratory.

The story unfolds gently and with some fascinating asides. We learn of the incomparable Mary Somerville whose own achievements were extraordinary for the time. Even Charles Dickens crosses Faraday's path as both were consummate presenters and entertainers in their own way, and both admired the other's talents.

The strange religion that Faraday somehow reconciled with his science is a curious backdrop to this quiet and intense man whose work on electricity, magnetism and countless other areas of enquiry helped define the next century. He even speculated on space travel like his mentor Davy, except Faraday went one further and proposed a possible means of propulsion.

A thoroughly satisfying a biography.

precise in its details
I have only started reading this biography. Yet I was drawn to it from the start by the engaging style of the author. His wealth of details add to make Michael Faraday a very human person. Facts about Faraday's belief are interesting because it is through people of the same or similar belief as his that he met his mentor and support. He was encouraged, he learned fast, he attended amazing and exciting lectures. Faraday was a genius, yet very human. This biography will warm you to an extraordinary character. The engaging style will help you along get into the life of Faraday in his context. The reading is easy, but beware, it is rich too. This is pleasant to read and enriching. You'll come out of this with a deep sense of satisfaction. Buy it, curl on your bed or in your favourite armchair and enter the early 19th century London,go to the lectures with this amazing scientist who was Michael Faraday. If you want a pun on Faraday's discoveries, you shall be electrified!
A splendid buy!

Fitting tribute to a scientific giant
Even if you are not particularly interested in Faraday or the development of science and technology in the 19th century, you should read this terrific book! Hamilton has produced a near perfect biography, setting Faraday's achievements in a detailed and sumptuously populated world of science, philosophy, art & politics. The research is impeccable, but Hamilton's style means that the citations and provenance never gets in the way of the inspiring story.