This is a thorough, very readable and excellently illustrated biography of Willem de Sitter (1872-1934), one of the most influential astronomers of his time, and also a co-author and correspondent of Einstein. Authored by a physicist and skilled writer, the book gives a beautiful and accessible description of the physics debated by Einstein and de Sitter, as well as the latter's alternative cosmological model, later known as the De Sitter Universe. But this is just part of a fascinating and varied life story involving numerous contributions to astronomy, as well as many places and personalities of early 20th century physics. The book will appeal to all those interested in astronomy and physics and their history.

Profiles Dutch astronomer Willem de Sitter (1872-1934), with information provided by the University of Saint Andrews School of Mathematics and Statistics in Scotland as part of the MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive. Notes his work with Albert Einstein.

Albert Einstein is an icon of the twentieth century. Born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879, he is most famous for his theory of relativity. He also made enormous contributions to quantum mechanics and cosmology, and for his work he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921. A self-pronounced pacifist, humanist, and, late in his life, democratic socialist, Einstein was also deeply concerned with the social impact of his discoveries. Much of Einstein's life is shrouded in legend. From popular images and advertisements to various works of theater and fiction, he has come to signify so many things. In Einstein: A Biography, Jürgen Neffe presents a clear and probing portrait of the man behind the myth. Unearthing new documents, including a series of previously unknown letters from Einstein to his sons, which shed new light on his role as a father, Neffe paints a rich portrait of the tumultuous years in which Einstein lived and worked. And with a background in the sciences, he describes and contextualizes Einstein's enormous contributions to our scientific legacy. Einstein, a breakout bestseller in Germany, is sure to be a classic biography of the man and proverbial genius who has been called "the brain of the [twentieth] century."

Profiles more than 130 scientists from around the world who made important contributions in the fields of space and astronomy, including John Couch Adams, Albert Einstein, and Plato.

Einstein was the twentieth century's most celebrated scientist - a man who developed the theory of relativity, revolutionised physics and became an iconic genius in the popular imagination. Essays range from the reasonably scientific including the theory of relativity, to the odd and engaging, such as Einstein's brain, his favourite jokes and films. Einstein A to Z provides a vibrant overview of the man and his achievements.

This is the second and final volume of Dutch physicist Hendrik Antoon Lorentz's scientific correspondence with Dutch colleagues, including Pieter Zeeman and Paul Ehrenfest. These 294 letters cover multiple subjects, ranging from pure mathematics to magneto-optics and wave mechanics. They reveal much about their author, including Lorentz's surprisingly active involvement in experimental matters in the first decades of his career. Letters are also devoted to general relativity, Lorentz's 1908 lecture on radiation theory, and his receipt of the Nobel Prize along with Zeeman in 1902. The letters are presented in their original language; Dutch originals are accompanied by English translations. A concise biography of Lorentz is also included.

Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn (1851-1922) of the University of Groningen was one of the foremost astronomers of his time, resulting in a leading role internationally of Dutch astronomy throughout the twentieth century. This volume, which is the proceedings of a special `legacy' symposium at the celebration of the 385th anniversary of the University of Groningen, addresses Kapteyn's influence on the development of modern astronomy through studies of his pioneering work on statistical astronomy and the Structure of the Sidereal System, and his leadership in establishing international collaborations, in particular the Plan of Selected Areas. In addition to historical studies related to Kapteyn's person, work, international collaborations and organisational efforts, the volume discusses the influence of Kapteyn on the internationalisation of astronomy and on contemporary astronomy. It also provides an inventory of Kapteyn's correspondence.

Outgrowth of 6th Int'l Conference on the History of General Relativity, held in Amsterdam on June 26-29, 2002 Contributions from notable experts offer both new and historical insights on gravitation, general relativity, cosmology, unified field theory, and the history of science Topics run gamet from detailed mathematical discussions to more personal recollections of relativity as seen through the eyes of the public and renowned relativists