Tyndall John

First published in 1868, soon after the death of Michael Faraday (1791–1867), this short work assesses the discoveries made by a humble bookbinder who became one of the foremost scientific investigators of the nineteenth century. Eminently qualified, John Tyndall (1820–93), who received Faraday's support in taking up the professorship of natural philosophy at the Royal Institution in 1853, gives an informed appraisal of a remarkable scientific career. The protégé of Sir Humphry Davy, Faraday went on to carry out pioneering work in the fields of electromagnetism, diamagnetism and electrolysis. Tyndall focuses here on Faraday's research, describing his influences and how he approached his investigations, although insights into his character are also incorporated: 'Underneath his sweetness and gentleness was the heat of a volcano.' Also reissued in this series are The Life and Letters of Faraday (1870), compiled by Henry Bence Jones, and John Hall Gladstone's Michael Faraday (1872).

John Tyndall (1820–93) was an Irish physicist who became fascinated by mountaineering after a scientific expedition to Switzerland in 1856. He traversed the summit of the Matterhorn in 1868 and climbed Mount Blanc three times. Alongside this love of mountains was a scientific interest in glaciers and ice formations. Tyndall was also well-regarded for his ability to communicate with the public about science. Many of his books, such as this one, published in 1872 as part of the International Scientific Series, are aimed at the general reader. Tyndall uses this work to explain many aspects of water, beginning with cloud formation and rain before moving on to ice, snow and glaciers. He also discusses the principles behind phenomena ranging from tropical rains to glacial movement. Illustrated and organised into 493 different points under themed headings, this book gives clear explanations of the complexity of the earth's water system.

John Tyndall (1820–93) was an influential Irish geologist who became fascinated by mountaineering after a scientific expedition to Switzerland in 1856. He joined the Alpine Club in 1858 and achieved the summit of the Matterhorn in 1868 - a feat which led to a peak on the Italian side of the massif being named after him. He also climbed Mont Blanc three times. A writer of scientific texts who was widely praised for the quality of his prose, Tyndall made clear that in this work, published in 1860, he had 'not attempted to mix Narrative and Science'. He divides his account into two parts: his Alpine adventures and observations, and the scientific explanations about the origins and structural aspects of glaciers. Both sections include explanatory illustrations. This book, a classic text of Alpine exploration, offers a unique account of Tyndall's mountaineering expeditions and the science that inspired them.