Quantum Generations: A History of Physics in the Twentieth Century

The author attempts to handle the most important physics development of the twentieth century, namely that of quantum theory, in one, not too bulky, volume. This heroic task is split into 29 chapters, each treating a topic that forms a well defined subpart of the big theme embracing quantum theory itself (and also some of its companions), and the experimental discoveries, technology, sociology and science politics connected with it. The contents of Part One cover roughly the first twenty years of the century. There are also chapters on the introduction of the quantum of action and atomic constitution, on discharge in gases, low-temperature research and the interaction of science with industrial and military affairs in World War I. Part Two, leading up to the Hiroshima bomb, includes, beyond such central chapters as the rise of nuclear physics, quantum field theory and the physical and philosophical interpretation of quantum mechanics, further accounts of the Eddington-Milne cosmology, physics in the dictatorial regimes of National Socialism, Fascism and Stalinism, and the intellectual immigration during the 1930s into the USA. Part Three brings the story up to the end of the century, embracing great topics like nuclear energy, Big Science (i.e. physics in military and civil projects), fundamental particle theories up to speculations about `grand unification’, quantum electronics, or the increasingly hostile attitude toward science in the past 30 years. The short Part Four contains two chapters on a century in retrospect, which was really the century of physics. An enormous amount of material has been addressed in this book, and one wonders how one person can say anything reasonable about all these topics. The overall organization and the selection of chapters appears to be well planned and carried out quite successfully. In this reviewer’s opinion, some chapters, e.g. on Dirac’s theoretical work or cosmology (on which the author has contributed pioneering historical studies) provide particularly competent reviews, while others, e.g. the one on the introduction of quantum theory depend on disappointing second-hand sources. Physicists will profit particularly from the sociological and other background material given on their science; the layman is often confronted with a mere list of physical concepts rather than enlightenment concerning their contents. Of course, a number of historical mistakes cannot be avoided in such a global story: thus Samuel Goudsmit did not win the Nobel Prize, and Maria Goeppert-Mayer and Fritz London were not Polish born. As a particular feature of the book, references are always given to secondary (history of science) literature, even when the primary sources are more easily accessible. As the author stated in the preface, he thought that the standard reader of his Quantum Generations would be neither a scientist nor a historian of science. Still, it may be very difficult to win an audience for this book beyond the circles mentioned.