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The life of James Clerk Maxwell : with a selection from his correspondence and occasional writings and a sketch of his contributions to science
James Clerk Maxwell (1831 1879) was a Scottish physicist well-known for his extensive work with electromagnetism, colour analysis, and kinetic theory. Considered by many to be a giant in his field with significant influence on the physicists who would follow, Maxwell spent time as a professor at Aberdeen University, King's College, London, and Cambridge. This 1882 Life by his friend Lewis Campbell and natural philosopher William Garnett represents an important and lengthy investigation into Maxwell's life and thought. Part I is concerned with biographical matters while the second section focuses upon his scientific mind. A third part contains Maxwell's poetry, so included because the poems are 'characteristic of him' and have 'curious biographical interest'. At nearly 700 pages, the Life represents an important starting point for those curious about the state of theoretical physics and the person in whom it reached its culmination in the nineteenth century.
714 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1882
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May 22, 2026
Free download available at Project Gutenberg
I made the proofreading of this book for Free Literature and Project Gutenberg will publish it.
CONTENTS
PART I.—BIOGRAPHICAL OUTLINE.
CHAPTER I.
Birth and Parentage 1
Note.--The Clerks of Penicuik and Maxwells of Middlebie 16
CHAPTER II.
Glenlair--Childhood--1831-1841 24
CHAPTER III.
Boyhood--1841-1844 45
CHAPTER IV.
Adolescence--1844-1847 66
Note.—Oval and Meloid 91
CHAPTER V.
Opening Manhood--1847-1850 105
CHAPTER VI.
Undergraduate Life at Cambridge--1850-1854 146
CHAPTER VII.
Bachelor-Scholar and Fellow of Trinity--1854-1856 197
CHAPTER VIII.
Essays at Cambridge--1853-1856 223
CHAPTER IX.
Death of his Father--Professorship at Aberdeen--
1856-1857 247
CHAPTER X.
Aberdeen--Marriage--1857-1860 274
CHAPTER XI.
King’s College, London--Glenlair--1860-1870 314
CHAPTER XII.
Cambridge--1871-1879 348
CHAPTER XIII.
Illness and Death--1879 406
CHAPTER XIV.
Last Essays at Cambridge 434
PART II--CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE.
1. Experiments on Colour Vision, and other Contributions
to Optics 465
2. Investigations respecting Elastic Solids 491
3. Pure Geometry 496
4. Mechanics 498
5. Saturn’s Kings 501
6. Faraday’s Lines op Force, and Maxwell’s Theory of
the Electromagnetic Field, including the
Electromagnetic Theory op Light, and other
Investigations in Electricity 513
7. Molecular Physics 559
PART III.--POEMS.
1. Juvenile Verses and Translations 577
2. Occasional Pieces 593
3. Serio-Comic Verse 609
INDEX 653
I made the proofreading of this book for Free Literature and Project Gutenberg will publish it.
CONTENTS
PART I.—BIOGRAPHICAL OUTLINE.
CHAPTER I.
Birth and Parentage 1
Note.--The Clerks of Penicuik and Maxwells of Middlebie 16
CHAPTER II.
Glenlair--Childhood--1831-1841 24
CHAPTER III.
Boyhood--1841-1844 45
CHAPTER IV.
Adolescence--1844-1847 66
Note.—Oval and Meloid 91
CHAPTER V.
Opening Manhood--1847-1850 105
CHAPTER VI.
Undergraduate Life at Cambridge--1850-1854 146
CHAPTER VII.
Bachelor-Scholar and Fellow of Trinity--1854-1856 197
CHAPTER VIII.
Essays at Cambridge--1853-1856 223
CHAPTER IX.
Death of his Father--Professorship at Aberdeen--
1856-1857 247
CHAPTER X.
Aberdeen--Marriage--1857-1860 274
CHAPTER XI.
King’s College, London--Glenlair--1860-1870 314
CHAPTER XII.
Cambridge--1871-1879 348
CHAPTER XIII.
Illness and Death--1879 406
CHAPTER XIV.
Last Essays at Cambridge 434
PART II--CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE.
1. Experiments on Colour Vision, and other Contributions
to Optics 465
2. Investigations respecting Elastic Solids 491
3. Pure Geometry 496
4. Mechanics 498
5. Saturn’s Kings 501
6. Faraday’s Lines op Force, and Maxwell’s Theory of
the Electromagnetic Field, including the
Electromagnetic Theory op Light, and other
Investigations in Electricity 513
7. Molecular Physics 559
PART III.--POEMS.
1. Juvenile Verses and Translations 577
2. Occasional Pieces 593
3. Serio-Comic Verse 609
INDEX 653
January 31, 2019
The book fulfilled its purpose. It describes interesting details of the life of this great scientist, often treated as a minor scientist. He is regarded by most modern physicists as the scientist of the 19th century who had the greatest influence on 20th-century physics, and he is ranked with Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein for the fundamental nature of his contributions. He developed a mathematical expression, called Maxwell's equations that described the actions of electricity and magnetism and their interrelationship, and from these predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves traveling at the speed of light. Maxwell was also the first to peer into the dimensions of the molecular world by calculating the average distance a gas molecule travels before it hits another molecule. Maxwell also produced the first color photograph.
May 28, 2018
James Clerk Maxwell was an extraordinary man, and this biography is the closest we can come to understanding him over a century after his death. Both of the authors were friends of Maxwell, with Campbell being a childhood friend and Garnett assisted Maxwell in the Cavendish Laboratory.
Much of the text consists of letters by and to Maxwell. Many of these letters are quite dense and take much longer to read than the actual prose. But, they allow you to see Maxwell's thoughts, emotions, quirks, and methods of thinking. Also of interest were the essays sprinkled throughout which ranged on various subjects.
If you are seriously interested in learning about Maxwell as a man, this is the book for you. This biography does contain plenty of information about his scientific achievements, but one must realize that his findings on electricity and magnetism were not fully understood for some time after his death, and this book was published in 1882, only three years after Maxwell's death.
If all you want to learn is information about Maxwell's scientific accomplishments, then I suggest you look to a more modern source. But if you want to know more about this amazing man (who would have been worthy of admiration even without his scientific discoveries), then give this book a try!
Much of the text consists of letters by and to Maxwell. Many of these letters are quite dense and take much longer to read than the actual prose. But, they allow you to see Maxwell's thoughts, emotions, quirks, and methods of thinking. Also of interest were the essays sprinkled throughout which ranged on various subjects.
If you are seriously interested in learning about Maxwell as a man, this is the book for you. This biography does contain plenty of information about his scientific achievements, but one must realize that his findings on electricity and magnetism were not fully understood for some time after his death, and this book was published in 1882, only three years after Maxwell's death.
If all you want to learn is information about Maxwell's scientific accomplishments, then I suggest you look to a more modern source. But if you want to know more about this amazing man (who would have been worthy of admiration even without his scientific discoveries), then give this book a try!
January 18, 2018
Three and a half stars, but still highly recommended. Wrote a review here: http://rdeternity.blogspot.in/2018/01...
March 11, 2021
A technical, scientific, and extremely detailed biography of a brilliant scientist written by his own childhood friend and class fellow, Lewis Campbell. If you don't have a knack for reading and absorbing factual/scientific information, you'll probably find this a little boring along the way.
Maxwell was an extremely religious man throughout his life; and the kind of scientific arguments he presents, keeping God at the center of everything, is extremely powerful. I'm sure his ideas and his ability to explain faith in the light of science will never be brushed off by those who hold great respect for science and scientific minds. He wasn't an ordinary man and what he achieved for science wasn't ordinary either. Anything a man of his stature says has something of value for us to ponder on.
Overall, I enjoyed the book very much and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it for those interested in science, astronomy, and scientific analysis of religious views on the cosmos, God, and creation.
Maxwell was an extremely religious man throughout his life; and the kind of scientific arguments he presents, keeping God at the center of everything, is extremely powerful. I'm sure his ideas and his ability to explain faith in the light of science will never be brushed off by those who hold great respect for science and scientific minds. He wasn't an ordinary man and what he achieved for science wasn't ordinary either. Anything a man of his stature says has something of value for us to ponder on.
Overall, I enjoyed the book very much and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it for those interested in science, astronomy, and scientific analysis of religious views on the cosmos, God, and creation.
August 30, 2009
Huh... "it was okay" or "i liked it" don't really cut it in this instance.
The narratives were somewhat useful to me as I tried to picture what it was like to live as or live with Clerk Maxwell, but not near as much as I'd hoped. His correspondence told me more, and often had me laughing at his character or wishing I'd had the privilege of knowing him, but it was like trying to get to know someone through a message board: the person was there but his life was missing. Knowing that this book was put together by Clerk Maxwell's best friend from childhood, I wondered what the author was trying to hide. Maybe it was just normal Victorian reticence?
How many stars do you give for a primary source that acts just like any primary source and frustrates and entices at once?
The narratives were somewhat useful to me as I tried to picture what it was like to live as or live with Clerk Maxwell, but not near as much as I'd hoped. His correspondence told me more, and often had me laughing at his character or wishing I'd had the privilege of knowing him, but it was like trying to get to know someone through a message board: the person was there but his life was missing. Knowing that this book was put together by Clerk Maxwell's best friend from childhood, I wondered what the author was trying to hide. Maybe it was just normal Victorian reticence?
How many stars do you give for a primary source that acts just like any primary source and frustrates and entices at once?
April 27, 2012
I really liked this book. I gave the sketch of his contribution to science a skip, since I've studied that, so I don't know how good that bit was, but I thought the biography excellent for helping you see what the man himself was like. The number of letters included was great, because they really tell the story, and I think you really do get a sense of what Maxwell was like. My favourite thing about it, though, was seeing Maxwell's faith come through in many of the letters. It was so encouraging to see a man of such genius with such a dedicated faith. An astounding man - well worth the read.
June 22, 2015
Enjoyable biography. More personal details than scientific emphasis, but very informative account told from a friend.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews