Möchten Sie verkaufen? Hier verkaufen
Scientist, Soldier, Statesman, Spy: Count Rumford: The Extraordinary Life of a Scientific Genius
 
Größeres Bild 
Für Kunden: Stellen Sie Ihre eigenen Bilder ein.
Verleger: So können Kunden in diesem Buch suchen.
Den Verlag informieren!
Ich möchte dieses Buch auf dem Kindle lesen.

Sie haben keinen Kindle? Hier kaufen oder eine gratis Kindle Lese-App herunterladen.

Scientist, Soldier, Statesman, Spy: Count Rumford: The Extraordinary Life of a Scientific Genius [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

G. I. Brown (Autor)

Erhältlich bei diesen Anbietern.


Produktinformation

Produktbeschreibungen

From Kirkus Reviews

If the life of the American-born scientist Count Rumford had been created in a novel, nobody would believe it. This new biography chronicles all his achievements and escapades. Born near Boston in 1753, Benjamin Thompson showed an early aptitude for scientific subjects and a passion for rigor and organization. At 19, working as a schoolmaster, he married a rich widow who introduced him into society. As Brown (The Big Bang: A History of Explosives, not reviewed) makes clear, Thompson assiduously cultivated his newly forged connections with Royalist authorities. Spying for the British when the Revolution broke out, he fled to England, without his wife and two-year-old daughter, in 1776never to return. His political connections got him a commission as a full colonel and a knighthood, and his scientific investigations of gunnery won him election to the Royal Society. Then he headed to Bavaria, where he almost instantly won high office, reforming the military and instituting workhouses for the poorthe entire time, apparently, spying for England. Promoted to count, he took the name Rumford, after the New Hampshire town where he had abandoned his wife. As a scientist, he took a particular interest in heat; his experiments not only helped establish the kinetic theory of heat, but led him to develop significant improvements in domestic heating, lighting, and cookery. His discoveries also prompted him to don white clothing in winter, as the best means for preserving body heata choice that marked him as eccentric. Back in England, he helped establish the British Institute, a major force for the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Meanwhile, he accumulated a string of mistresses, including the widow of the French chemist Lavoisier, whom he married in 1805. He lived out his final days in Paris, an eccentric to the end. Brown's telling of Rumford's tale is somewhat pedestrian, but the mere facts are enough to make this a page-turner. (8 pages b&w illus.) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Book Description

President Roosevelt rated Count Rumford, along with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, as 'the greatest mind America has produced' and, through his inventions, philanthropy, and the foundation of the Royal Institution Rumford brought more benefit to mankind than most men of his age. Yet, though knighted by George III, he was villified by Cobbett, ridiculed by Gillray and Cruickshank, and died almost alone. What is the real story of Count Rumford? Was he an insufferable genius, who treated those with whom he worked with contempt? A philanthropist and scientist whose remarkable ability and versatility inspired envy and malice rather than admiration? A hypocrite and philanderer, whose spying activities were the public face of a man who would do anything to ensure his own success?

Fascinated by science from boyhood, Rumford began experimenting when he was very young, found a post as a teacher, and independent means through marriage to a rich society wife. The American War of Independence, however, found him siding with and spying for the British and, in 1776, he was forced to flee to England. Favoured by Lord North, he was made Under-Secretary of State in the British Government. Then he decided to try his fortune in Bavaria, where he reformed the Army.

Throughout his adventurous life, his passion was for science. His experiments revolutionised ideas on the nature of heat; his inventions brought dramatic improvements to the masses. The Rumford stove warmed thousands of homes; a new lamp, with lampshades (then a novelty), became immediately popular; the 'Rumford roaster' was an enviable addition to his prototype kitchen range. He also put his conviction that the lot of the poor should be bettered into practice: he set up a workhouse for beggars; originated soup kitchens; and, most famously, made benevolence fashionable through the establishment of the Royal Institution.

This biography tells the story of Rumford's life, from his birth as plain 'Benjamin Thompson' into a poor farming family in Massachusetts, in 1753, to international renown, and lonely death. Scientist, soldier, statesman and spy, his is a tale of adventure, intrigue, ambition and lust for life. Two hundred years after the founding of the Royal Institution, this book recognizes Rumford's unique place in science history and unravels the story of this perplexing and complex man.

Alle Produktbeschreibungen

Tags

 (Was ist das?)
Bei einem Tag handelt es sich um ein Schlagwort, das zum Produkt passt.
Tags erleichtern allen Kunden die Suche und die Sortierung ihrer Lieblingsprodukte.
 
Beliebteste Tags anzeigen

Eine digitale Version dieses Buchs im Kindle-Shop verkaufen

Wenn Sie ein Verleger oder Autor sind und die digitalen Rechte an einem Buch haben, können Sie die digitale Version des Buchs in unserem Kindle-Shop verkaufen. Weitere Informationen

Kundenrezensionen

Es gibt noch keine Kundenrezensionen auf Amazon.de
5 Sterne
4 Sterne
3 Sterne
2 Sterne
1 Sterne
Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen auf Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:  2 Rezensionen
7 von 7 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
The publisher does a disservice to author and readers 30. April 2001
Von Lawrence S. Lerner - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
I have not yet read this book; the above star rating is arbitrarily placed to make it possible to post this note and should not be taken seriously. I am sorry to note, however, that the publisher's ignorance of their own product is made evident in the following quote from their review, above: "This is the first book to examine the life of this brilliant but difficult man." That is certainly not so. The late eminent scientist and scholar, Sanborn C. Brown, wrote two biographies of Rumford: "Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford," intended for the serious reader, and "Count Rumford, Physicist Extraordinary," a shorter version intended for the younger reader that, inter alia, omits some of the details of Rumford's extensive sexual adventures. Both are excellent (and the first, at least, is listed by Amazon.) In addition, there are at least half a dozen older biographies of Rumford, ranging from good to boring, and dated beginning about 1845. Rumford's complete works have been published in five volumes. Volume 5 deals with his social innovations, and is fascinating and entertaining reading even for the technically unsophisticated reader.
A truly fascinating life 17. Februar 2010
Von Robert Gray - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com
I really enjoyed this book. It's a fairly quick read for being packed with so much interesting stuff. Benjamin Thompson, later taking the name Count Rumford, lived the most fascinating life of anyone I've ever known or read about.

Brief summary:
He was born into a poor farming family in America in 1753. At 19 years old, he marries an incredibly rich 30-something year old woman setting himself up financially for the rest of his life. When the Revolutionary War breaks out he stays loyal to England and begins working as a spy. He develops and uses invisible ink to send secret messages and begins having an affair with the wife of the owner of a revolutionary newspaper.

When the war turns sour, he flees to England where he is given a heroes welcome. He lands a cushy government job and uses his free time to work on his true passion: scientific experiments, mainly involving heat. He is the inventor of central heating, the drip coffee pot, greatly improved fireplaces and lanterns, and many others. He also set up the worlds first homeless shelters, soup kitchens and was knighted for services in both England and Bavaria. While in Bavaria he was also briefly made general commander of the entire army and during that time, used his skills of persuasion to avoid being drawn into a war between Austria and France, becoming an overnight hero.

Sadly, most people have never heard of him.

Kunden diskutieren

Das Forum zu diesem Produkt
Diskussion Antworten Jüngster Beitrag
Noch keine Diskussionen

Fragen stellen, Meinungen austauschen, Einblicke gewinnen
Neue Diskussion starten
Thema:
Erster Beitrag:
Eingabe des Log-ins
 


Aktive Diskussionen in ähnlichen Foren
Kundendiskussionen durchsuchen
Alle Amazon-Diskussionen durchsuchen
   
Ähnliche Foren

Lieblingslisten

Legen Sie Ihre eigene Lieblingsliste an

Ähnliche Artikel finden

Anhand des Sachgebietes nach ähnlichen Produkten suchen:






















Das bedeutet, jeder Titel/Artikel muss zu Sachgebiet 1 UND zu Sachgebiet 2 UND... gehören.

Ihr Kommentar

Möchten Sie die Produktinformationen aktualisieren oder Feedback zu den Produktabbildungen geben?