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Prof: The Life and Times of Frederick Lindemann
Born into a rich family of German origin, Lindemann, Viscount Cherwell, became Winston Churchill’s scientific adviser and friend -- reaching the very pinnacle of political, scientific and social life in Britain.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2003
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217 people want to read
About the author
Adrian Fort
4 books3 followersAdrian Fort was educated at Oxford, where he was a Clarendon Fellow. He practiced as a lawyer and became involved with politics before pursuing a financial career.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 11, 2016
I somehow found this biography more gripping than any other I have read in the last year.
Lindemann was a prominent British physicist of the early 20th century. He was wealthy and socially well-connected and as a result, became friends with Churchill. They became political allies to argue against appeasement and for rearmament. During the war, Lindemann was one of Churchill's top advisors on scientific, technical, and economic questions, He also ran the Prime Minster's Statistical Section, responsible for maintaining accurate data about the state of the Allied military establishment. Lindemann might be unparalleled for any scientist in his proximity and influence on power.
He was a very peculiar person. Ferociously right-wing politically, vegetarian, socially withdrawn, and famously stubborn in his opinions. He managed to regularly annoy his Oxford colleagues, insisting that science should be given or social prominence and also more funding. When the wife of a classics professor airily said at a party, "oh, a good classics student can pick up science in two weeks," Lindemann answered "what a pity your husband has never had two weeks to spare."
Lindemann often enters WW2 histories as something of an anti-hero -- he was accused of opposing work on radar before the war, and was a firm proponent of area bombing of cities. Fort's biography largely clears him of these charges. Watson-Watt and R. V. Jones both claim that Lindemann was firmly in favor of radar work and was helpul in directing resources to it. Lindemann was a jerk to Tizard and other early radar scientists --- not because he opposed radar, but because he wanted more urgency both for radar and for other air-defense projects. And while he did advocate for area bombing, this was essentially the consensus view of the RAF and the Cabinet, and was in some sense the only option available.
Lindemann was a prominent British physicist of the early 20th century. He was wealthy and socially well-connected and as a result, became friends with Churchill. They became political allies to argue against appeasement and for rearmament. During the war, Lindemann was one of Churchill's top advisors on scientific, technical, and economic questions, He also ran the Prime Minster's Statistical Section, responsible for maintaining accurate data about the state of the Allied military establishment. Lindemann might be unparalleled for any scientist in his proximity and influence on power.
He was a very peculiar person. Ferociously right-wing politically, vegetarian, socially withdrawn, and famously stubborn in his opinions. He managed to regularly annoy his Oxford colleagues, insisting that science should be given or social prominence and also more funding. When the wife of a classics professor airily said at a party, "oh, a good classics student can pick up science in two weeks," Lindemann answered "what a pity your husband has never had two weeks to spare."
Lindemann often enters WW2 histories as something of an anti-hero -- he was accused of opposing work on radar before the war, and was a firm proponent of area bombing of cities. Fort's biography largely clears him of these charges. Watson-Watt and R. V. Jones both claim that Lindemann was firmly in favor of radar work and was helpul in directing resources to it. Lindemann was a jerk to Tizard and other early radar scientists --- not because he opposed radar, but because he wanted more urgency both for radar and for other air-defense projects. And while he did advocate for area bombing, this was essentially the consensus view of the RAF and the Cabinet, and was in some sense the only option available.
May 29, 2022
This was one of the most interesting and authoritative biographies I have had the pleasure to read. The subject, Professor Lord Cherwell, was someone I knew nothing about, but on reading this book about his life I am convinced that without him the British would have lost WWII before the entrance of the USA. The man was extremely intelligent, very patriotic, a more than able sportsman in his youth, a world-class statistician, a world-class physicist and an economist to rank very close to Keynes.
If all this sounds a bit too dry a subject then please read this book and be amazed at this man and how he became the father of the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, albeit late in life. He knew Einstein, Rutherford, Bohr and most of the nuclear scientists of the pre-bomb age, as well as being the confidant of Churchill, an MP, Paymaster General and a member of the House of Lords, as well as being a life-long professor at Cambridge University. What a character.
My thanks to Caryatid for suggesting this book.
If all this sounds a bit too dry a subject then please read this book and be amazed at this man and how he became the father of the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, albeit late in life. He knew Einstein, Rutherford, Bohr and most of the nuclear scientists of the pre-bomb age, as well as being the confidant of Churchill, an MP, Paymaster General and a member of the House of Lords, as well as being a life-long professor at Cambridge University. What a character.
My thanks to Caryatid for suggesting this book.
May 23, 2012
Enjoyed this book very much indeed, although one or two 'science bits' were a little hard to follow for someone who once scored 12/125 in a chemistry test.
Anyway, I am ashamed to say that until I came across this book I was only vaguely aware of Professor Lindemann. What an extraordinary chap and what an influence he had!
Well worth a read if you're interested in what must have been an extremely exciting (and scary) period of modern history.
Anyway, I am ashamed to say that until I came across this book I was only vaguely aware of Professor Lindemann. What an extraordinary chap and what an influence he had!
Well worth a read if you're interested in what must have been an extremely exciting (and scary) period of modern history.
May 7, 2008
Biography of noted British Scientist, whom made several important
discoveries, built the physics department at Oxford from nothing, and was Churchill's science advisor during WWII. Lindemann identified centrifugation as a way of seperating isotope of uranium in the ~1920. Great book on history of science, importance of science to Allied victory in WWII.
discoveries, built the physics department at Oxford from nothing, and was Churchill's science advisor during WWII. Lindemann identified centrifugation as a way of seperating isotope of uranium in the ~1920. Great book on history of science, importance of science to Allied victory in WWII.
June 27, 2015
I abandoned this because I think I don't really like biographies. I love autobiographies and memoirs but I'm not really feeling this or the Turing book that's lingering on my bedside table. So I'm bailing on this and reading a book I actually look forward to picking up. Life is short.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews