Einstein's War

How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I

De: Matthew Stanley

Narrado por: Matthew Stanley

The birth of a world-changing idea in the middle of a bloodbath

Einstein’s War is a riveting exploration of both the beauty of scientific creativity and enduring horrors of human nature. These two great forces battle in a story that culminates with a victory now a century old, the mind bending theory of general relativity.

Few recognize how the Great War, the industrialized slaughter that bled Europe from 1914 to 1918, shaped Einstein’s life and work. While Einstein never held a rifle, he formulated general relativity blockaded in Berlin, literally starving. He lost 50 pounds in three months, unable to communicate with his most important colleagues. Some of those colleagues fought against rabid nationalism; others were busy inventing chemical warfare—being a scientist trapped you in the power plays of empire. Meanwhile, Einstein struggled to craft relativity and persuade the world that it was correct. This was, after all, the first complete revision of our conception of the universe since Isaac Newton, and its victory was far from sure.

Scientists seeking to confirm Einstein’s ideas were arrested as spies. Technical journals were banned as enemy propaganda. Colleagues died in the trenches. Einstein was separated from his most crucial ally by barbed wire and U-boats. This ally was the Quaker astronomer and Cambridge don A.S. Eddington who would go on to convince the world of the truth of relativity and the greatness of Einstein.

In May of 1919, when Europe was still in chaos from the war, Eddington led a globe-spanning expedition to catch a fleeting solar eclipse for a rare opportunity to confirm Einstein’s bold prediction that light has weight. It was the result of this expedition—the proof of relativity, as many saw it—that put Einstein on front pages around the world. Matthew Stanley’s epic tale is a celebration of how bigotry and nationalism can be defeated, and of what science can offer when they are.

*Includes a PDF with scientific and mathematical illustrations.

Personality rights of ALBERT EINSTEIN are used with permission of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Represented exclusively by Greenlight.

Fantastic

I could not get enough of this book. As a physicist who has studied Einstein's work academically, this was a fantastic view into not only Relativity's creation, but the philosophical motivations behind the math. It has helped me further understand this enigmatic topic, while also providing me with a plethora of new knowledge about WWI, Sir Arthur Eddington, and the strange historical intricacies that are often left out of a science class.

I recommend this to anyone, especially in today's political climate, who is curious about what it means to look at humanity above nationality.

Historically Accurate

I appreciated the detail that went into the story and the historical accuracy. However, the reader is the author, and no disrespect towards him but I just didnt like the style of reading. It seemed like the inflections of his speech were plqced differently than my own, though I attribute that to difference of vernacular between us. Give this book a listen, wonderful story.

Very Interesting, but Mr. Stanley's Performance

While I appreciate the work that was done by the author to write this book, the performance took getting used to. Mainly what bothered me was the author's reading intonation, the bothersome raising of the voice at the end of statement sentences where usually the voice should go down. I nearly quit listening, but glad I didn't. The information was very interesting and I learned a lot. The writing style could be better.

Great story but they should have hired a pro to read it

Well written and enough new material to make this a must read, but listening was grating. The author/reader clips his sentences and uptalks before most ends of sentences. Extremely annoying to the point it ruined an otherwise worthwhile book!

Science, morality, conviction, passion and the best of humanity come alive in this thrilling story.

I thought I knew this story but, wow, I learned so many new amazing details from Stanley’s research, and he made the entire story more accessible, entertaining, educational, and downright thrilling than any book about Einstein, or science for that matter, I’ve ever read. The vividness of a movie, the clarity and rigor of the best science literature. Einstein and Eddington and many more essential men and women who have otherwise been forgotten from most tellings, come to life with such personality, humanity and unsentimentality that I feel like have now travelled with them. There is also a fierce, full blooded accounting of the Great War, and a spectacular portrait of the shockingly wide range of the morality spectrum on which scientists of all nations conducted their lives and their work. Stanley has a gift for rigorous reportage skillfully woven with honesty, solemnity, humor and joy. Highly recommended for young and old... lovers of history, science, adventure, intrigue, excitement and the deepest mysteries of nature and the human mind.