Product Description

Already famous throughout Europe for his theories of planetary motion and gravity, Isaac Newton decided to take on the job of running the Royal Mint. And there, Newton became drawn into a battle with William Chaloner, the most skilful of counterfeiters, a man who not only got away with faking His Majesty's coins (a crime that the law equated with treason), but was trying to take over the Mint itself. But Chaloner had no idea who he was taking on. Newton pursued his enemy with the cold, implacable logic that he brought to his scientific research. Set against the backdrop of early eighteenth-century London with its sewers running down the middle of the streets, its fetid rivers, its packed houses, smoke and fog, its industries and its great port, this dark tale of obsession and revenge transforms our image of Britain's greatest scientist.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1264 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Review
`[A] pacy and absorbing history thriller ... Levenson's book is a gripping tale of unrelenting revenge and obsession.' --John Cornwell, Financial Times

'Levenson expands the story with the brio of a born narrator ... lucid and exciting [the book has] a satisfying unity.' --Andro Linklater, Spectator

'Levenson tells the story with clear, journalistic style.' --Colm Keena, Irish Times

'A thoroughly researched book ... [it] weaves together a history of money and a biography in a readable romp.' -- Heather Stewart, Observer

'[Levenson] tells the story ... with considerable panache ... there is real dramatic tension in the final game of cat-and-mouse.' -- Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph

About the Author
Thomas Levenson has written three books prior to this one: Ice Time: Climate, Science and Life on Earth; Measure for Measure: A Musical History of Science; and Einstein in Berlin. He is also a film-maker, with ten science documentary films to his credit, several of which were broadcast on British television. His awards include the National Academies Prize for Science Communication, a AAAS award for best science television, and a Peabody Award. He is a professor of science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives in Massachussets with his wife, film and television designer Katha Seidman and his son Henry, aged eight.

Customer Reviews

Newton and the Counterfeiter, Thomas Levenson. A fascinating look at a neglected period of Newton's life
When someone mentions Sir Isaac Newton, you immediately think of the father of science, the three laws of motion, apples and gravity, modern mathematics, the principle of optics, chemistry, theology etc, etc, etc. But what did he do after he had revolutionised modern thinking? It turns out he became the Warden of the Mint, responsible for guaranteeing the value of the currency, and for catching counterfeiters.

This part of his life is often neglected, when discussing Newton people tend to concentrate on his intellectual achievements, and his famous arguments with Hooke and Leibnitz. But the job of Warden of the Mint required no less intellect than his scientific studies, with the systems he set up to prevent counterfeiting, and his painstaking investigations that would send counterfeiters to the gallows.

This book details his entanglements with William Chaloner, the greatest counterfeiter of his day, a man of great powers who managed to evade capture for years, along the way even managed to cast doubt on Newton's powers and probity, and even tried to get himself inserted into the Mint!

This book reads a bit like a good thriller. There is a brief description of Newton's early life, leading up to his reasons for taking the job at the Mint. A description of the known facts of Chaloner's early life is given, then there follows the details of the battle between the two, as Newton struggled to bring his quarry to justice. Along the way we also learn much about the foundations of modern finance and banks, which were methods to solve economic problems that bear a strange resemblance to those faced in the current economic crisis! It's gripping stuff, and even better, it's all true. The book has been excellently researched, the author has drawn from a wide range of reliable documentary evidence to build his tale. It's not a dry biography however, it's written in a very accessible style.

I would highly recommend this book, it will appeal to all fans of good crime thrillers, or anyone interested in Newton and would like to know a bit more about the man himself. 5 Stars with no hesitation.

Excellent
This is a very enjoyable book. It is very well-written by an intelligent, deeply knowledgeable author who knows how to tell a good story, and it brings the historical events and characters fascinatingly to life.

The first section of the book (nearly half of it) is a terrific potted biography of Isaac Newton, with a really good, comprehensible account of his character, intellectual development and achievements. I am a physicist by training, I have also studied History of Science and have read a great deal about Newton, some of which has been very good and some very bad. This is one of the best short accounts I have ever read - incisive and compellingly readable, it gives a really good insight into the man, the way he worked and what motivated him. On the second page, by the way, Levinson writes, "psychoanalysis at a distance of centuries is a fool's game." I was pretty sure I was in safe hands after reading that, and I was right.

All this is essential for understanding Newton's time at the Mint and his approach to the pursuit of counterfeiters. This story is also brilliantly told, with a fascinating, wonderfully accessible account of the economic problems of the time, how the coinage contributed to them and the birth of money as we know it (or think we know it) today. This is wrapped up in an enthralling narrative of, effectively, a detective pursuing a criminal and the cat-and-mouse tactics each employed.

I often find that biography or history struggles to hold my interest and attention for hundreds of pages. This did - it was scholarly, fascinating and thoroughly engaging. I found it had the effect of a really good novel, leaving me very keen to get back and read some more, and I recommend it in the strongest terms.

Newton & the Countrefeiter
Interesting account of Newton's lesser known work at the Royal Mint & his battle Royal with Chaloner the master criminal - just likes Holmes & Moriarty but all true.