CERN Courier review.
Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field: How Two Men Revolutionized Physics
27 November 2014
By Nancy Forbes and Basil Mahon
Prometheus Books
My review: This was a snap to read, light on the equations, but with enough math to make sense, the story line follows the lives of Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell, covering the time from 1790 to the present day. The book is broad in scope but keeps the focus is on the development of electromagnetism, pulling in contributions to the idea from all over Europe and the U.S. to its final definitions by Einstein. The title doesn’t mention Oliver Heavyside, but his work, and the work of some of Maxwell’s contemporaries fill the last few chapters. One side note, I wasn’t familiar with the work of Josiah Willard Gibbs until his mention towards the end of this book. His work using vector calculus paralleled that of Heavyside both of whom arrived at an identical summary of Maxwell’s equations.
Overall, an excellent read, no major quibbles on style or substance.
