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Variety of Men
Book by Snow, C. P.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
4 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
C.P. Snow
94 books124 followersKnown British scientist Charles Percy Snow, baron Snow of Leicester, wrote especially his 11-volume series
Strangers and Brothers
(1940-1970).
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._P._Snow
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._P._Snow
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 23, 2020
An truly excellent book for people of all qualifications to discover the personalities of great men. Ignore the incredibly unflattering photo of Snow on the back.
Variety of Men is a wonderfully easy read. Many of the names on the cover were unfamiliar to me when I began reading it, but I needed no more than a quick gander at their Wikipedia entries. The discussions on these men are mainly psychological sketches tied with the personal observations of the author, who was acquainted with all but Stalin; there is relatively little discussion of these people's research or political decisions, let alone any technical language, and aims more at describing their character—and it succeeds with flying colours. The style is simple and concise, and Snow's insight immense. As it is such an easy and brief read, I recommend it to anyone who wishes to learn about the inner workings of some of the great minds of the 20th century.
Variety of Men is a wonderfully easy read. Many of the names on the cover were unfamiliar to me when I began reading it, but I needed no more than a quick gander at their Wikipedia entries. The discussions on these men are mainly psychological sketches tied with the personal observations of the author, who was acquainted with all but Stalin; there is relatively little discussion of these people's research or political decisions, let alone any technical language, and aims more at describing their character—and it succeeds with flying colours. The style is simple and concise, and Snow's insight immense. As it is such an easy and brief read, I recommend it to anyone who wishes to learn about the inner workings of some of the great minds of the 20th century.
September 10, 2023
Enjoyable when characterizing people I did not know about, but fascinating for the ones I did.
August 25, 2017
Enjoyed reading these biographical profiles of some very interesting men. I particularly liked the chapters on G.H. Hardy (Ramanujan's mentor), Ernest Rutherford, and Albert Einstein. Snow had been a good friend of Hardy (he wrote the foreword to Hardy's autobiographical book 'A Mathematician's Apology') and had also known Rutherford quite well. He had also met Einstein personally on a few occasions.
So the special feature of these biographical profiles is that they are narrated by a person who had personally known (most of) these people. The book is also very well written with sharp and clear prose. Reading this book provided the impetus to me to begin reading Snow's 'Strangers and Brothers' series, and also his lecture on 'The Two Cultures'.
So the special feature of these biographical profiles is that they are narrated by a person who had personally known (most of) these people. The book is also very well written with sharp and clear prose. Reading this book provided the impetus to me to begin reading Snow's 'Strangers and Brothers' series, and also his lecture on 'The Two Cultures'.
November 28, 2019
This is a fine work of biographical sketches. Going beyond chronological details, these brief but deep portraits offer a glimpse into the minds of the subjects, who happen to be some of the greatest minds of the past century. Snow’s style of writing is pleasantly intimate and the value of his personal acquaintance with all but one of these men, shines through. It is a wonderful primer for anyone with an interest in these people, before one picks up a detailed biography. For me, personally, the pleasure of reading this was accentuated by the fact that I got hold of an early edition whose pages held that distinct fragrance that comes only with age.
July 29, 2012
Interesting biographical sketches of some very influential people of the last century. Snow's personal acquaintance with almost all of them combined with their own personal reflections from their diaries make for good reading. Also, comparisons and commonalities drawn between the personalities gives the book an interesting appeal.
June 25, 2016
Imagine a life where you have with close relationship with (or at least sufficiently rich relationship so as to write about with insight of) with Hardy, Wells, Rutherford, Einstein, Churchill, Lyold George and others.
December 30, 2022
The Stalin and Einstein stories are probably my favourites.
“‘Doing well is all that matters,’ he said, with his hard-grained sense. If you’re going to be a farmer, be a good farmer. Most of his aphorisms were as tough as that. He was not, however, a good farmer.”
on Robert Frost
“‘Doing well is all that matters,’ he said, with his hard-grained sense. If you’re going to be a farmer, be a good farmer. Most of his aphorisms were as tough as that. He was not, however, a good farmer.”
on Robert Frost
December 16, 2020
My first impression of C.P. Snow's book, "Variety of Men," was that of an art exhibition, a one-man show by a master portrait painter. But Snow achieves far more than the conventional artist; for he brings to life not merely the figures and facial traits of his subjects, but also their characters and qualities as human beings. The first he does skilfully with his choice of words and power of description. But the second and more important aspect he achieves with his illuminating insight into character. And it is this quality that marks out his book as a vivid and interesting biography.
As the title itself suggests, the keynote of the book lies in the Variety of Men. Snow himself says, "The real fun was in the variety of human beings. That has been my chief preoccupation." This variety is based not on the professions these nine eminent men were devoted to, (though together they form part of three different worlds: science, literature, and government) but on the differences in their lives, ideals, and characters. By a series of contrasts and comparisons, Snow shows us where this Variety of Men truly diverges and where it blends. Thus, he says of Rutherford: "He was as original as Einstein, but unlike Einstein, he did not revolt against formal instruction; he was top in classics as well as everything else;” or of G. H. Hardy: "He was a serious and concentrated listener," and then he goes on to compare, "Wells was, on the whole, a worse listener than one expected: Rutherford distinctly better: Lloyd George one of the best listeners of all time."
What adds to the warmth, appeal and convincing quality of this book is Snow's personal touch. He has known all the men he writes about, except Stalin. Thus he describes his book as "a set of personal impressions." This personal character is enhanced by passages quoted from the writings of the persons themselves, as in the case of Hardy, Einstein and Hammarskjöld; and the conversations that the author has had with these men; such as the amusing exchange with Wells when the latter began, "Ever thought of suicide, Snow?"
But the effect Snow uses most to his credit is his deep probing insight into character. He perceives in Rutherford a "curious humility interwoven with boastfulness," and "somewhere at the roots of that abundant and creative nature there was a painful, shrinking nerve, an in lying deep diffidence." In spite of Churchill's unpopularity, his failures and his defects, he sees in him sterling qualities: "He had virtues, graces, style, courage, magnanimity, loyalty, wit, gallantry - these were not often held up for admiration in our literature or indeed depicted at all. He really had them". And he says that it was this about Churchill, which made people realise in the last ten years of his life that his existence had after all sweetened English life. But even this introspective insight left Snow "stuttering" in the case of Einstein, whom he describes as unlike 'ordinary' men. It is this unique quality of Einstein's that leaves him at a loss for words.
Part of Snow the novelist's genius is his wit and sense of humour which he dabs amply and effectively at various places in his sketches. His first meeting with H. G. Wells, who wanted advice on marriage, is extremely funny; so is this from the speeches of Rutherford, who loved flattery, titles, and the company of the high official world: "As I was standing in the drawing room at Trinity, a clergyman came in. And I said to him: ‘I’m Lord Rutherford.’ And he said to me: ‘I’m the Archbishop of York'. And I don't suppose either of us believed the other."
In the course of sketching a portrait he gives us amusing bits of common interest, such as his discussion about scientists playing a major role in molding "the deepest revolution in human affairs;” his bringing in of other personalities such as Rutherford's friend Kapitsa and Hardy's discovery-Ramanujan, and his commentary on cricket and Cambridge life.
Incidentally, while writing about other characters, Snow indirectly gives us a hint about himself: his great literary genius, his prodigious memory, his knowledge of the backgrounds of these nine great men - science, literature and government, and his depth of heart - he writes with profound feeling.
What else can I say but what I have said before that Snow's "Variety of Men" is a 'chef d'oeuvre'; and an educative and revealing masterpiece at that! In his preface Snow says, "I wrote the book for fun." I wonder if at the back of his mind he did not have a deeper purpose - for us to emulate the spirit and quality of these men "who have affected the shape and spirit of the twentieth century."
As the title itself suggests, the keynote of the book lies in the Variety of Men. Snow himself says, "The real fun was in the variety of human beings. That has been my chief preoccupation." This variety is based not on the professions these nine eminent men were devoted to, (though together they form part of three different worlds: science, literature, and government) but on the differences in their lives, ideals, and characters. By a series of contrasts and comparisons, Snow shows us where this Variety of Men truly diverges and where it blends. Thus, he says of Rutherford: "He was as original as Einstein, but unlike Einstein, he did not revolt against formal instruction; he was top in classics as well as everything else;” or of G. H. Hardy: "He was a serious and concentrated listener," and then he goes on to compare, "Wells was, on the whole, a worse listener than one expected: Rutherford distinctly better: Lloyd George one of the best listeners of all time."
What adds to the warmth, appeal and convincing quality of this book is Snow's personal touch. He has known all the men he writes about, except Stalin. Thus he describes his book as "a set of personal impressions." This personal character is enhanced by passages quoted from the writings of the persons themselves, as in the case of Hardy, Einstein and Hammarskjöld; and the conversations that the author has had with these men; such as the amusing exchange with Wells when the latter began, "Ever thought of suicide, Snow?"
But the effect Snow uses most to his credit is his deep probing insight into character. He perceives in Rutherford a "curious humility interwoven with boastfulness," and "somewhere at the roots of that abundant and creative nature there was a painful, shrinking nerve, an in lying deep diffidence." In spite of Churchill's unpopularity, his failures and his defects, he sees in him sterling qualities: "He had virtues, graces, style, courage, magnanimity, loyalty, wit, gallantry - these were not often held up for admiration in our literature or indeed depicted at all. He really had them". And he says that it was this about Churchill, which made people realise in the last ten years of his life that his existence had after all sweetened English life. But even this introspective insight left Snow "stuttering" in the case of Einstein, whom he describes as unlike 'ordinary' men. It is this unique quality of Einstein's that leaves him at a loss for words.
Part of Snow the novelist's genius is his wit and sense of humour which he dabs amply and effectively at various places in his sketches. His first meeting with H. G. Wells, who wanted advice on marriage, is extremely funny; so is this from the speeches of Rutherford, who loved flattery, titles, and the company of the high official world: "As I was standing in the drawing room at Trinity, a clergyman came in. And I said to him: ‘I’m Lord Rutherford.’ And he said to me: ‘I’m the Archbishop of York'. And I don't suppose either of us believed the other."
In the course of sketching a portrait he gives us amusing bits of common interest, such as his discussion about scientists playing a major role in molding "the deepest revolution in human affairs;” his bringing in of other personalities such as Rutherford's friend Kapitsa and Hardy's discovery-Ramanujan, and his commentary on cricket and Cambridge life.
Incidentally, while writing about other characters, Snow indirectly gives us a hint about himself: his great literary genius, his prodigious memory, his knowledge of the backgrounds of these nine great men - science, literature and government, and his depth of heart - he writes with profound feeling.
What else can I say but what I have said before that Snow's "Variety of Men" is a 'chef d'oeuvre'; and an educative and revealing masterpiece at that! In his preface Snow says, "I wrote the book for fun." I wonder if at the back of his mind he did not have a deeper purpose - for us to emulate the spirit and quality of these men "who have affected the shape and spirit of the twentieth century."
February 28, 2025
Nicely-drawn sketches of nine men
I've read this little collection of biographical sketches many times - most recently last week. Snow (who's probably best-known for his Strangers and Brothers series of novels) describes nine men from the worlds of twentieth century politics, science and literature. The subjects, who were all preeminent in their fields, range from Albert Einstein and Robert Frost to Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin, and Snow draws on his personal experience of having met all of them (apart from Stalin). Some of these encounters could be viewed as passing acquaintances, but some (as in the case of the mathematician G.H. Hardy) developed into lifelong friendships. Snow skillfully weaves his own impressions with brief but complete biographical sketches of his subjects, and is able to tease out a few overarching observations about the nature of the creative life, statesmanship and the worldly recognition which came to these gifted and fascinating men.
Originally reviewed 28 January 2013
I've read this little collection of biographical sketches many times - most recently last week. Snow (who's probably best-known for his Strangers and Brothers series of novels) describes nine men from the worlds of twentieth century politics, science and literature. The subjects, who were all preeminent in their fields, range from Albert Einstein and Robert Frost to Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin, and Snow draws on his personal experience of having met all of them (apart from Stalin). Some of these encounters could be viewed as passing acquaintances, but some (as in the case of the mathematician G.H. Hardy) developed into lifelong friendships. Snow skillfully weaves his own impressions with brief but complete biographical sketches of his subjects, and is able to tease out a few overarching observations about the nature of the creative life, statesmanship and the worldly recognition which came to these gifted and fascinating men.
Originally reviewed 28 January 2013
March 28, 2018
Vacation book #1 complete. A great review of significant historical figures of the early 20th century written by a man of lettres great in his own right. I especially liked his insights on statesmen like Stalin but found his review of Rutherford worth the price of admission.
February 21, 2025
Biografier af højeste klasse.
July 31, 2022
A very interesting experiment in biography. Short sketches of ‘great’ men, focussing not on their accomplishments so much as on their core character and motivations. I wish more biography focussed on such deeper analysis of character, rather than on a simple retelling of the events of the subject’s life.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews