The Northern Lights: The True Story of the Man Who Unlocked the Secrets of the Aurora Borealis

by Lucy Jago

Throughout the ages, the lights of the aurora borealis were believed to be messengers of gods, signs of apocalypse, or souls of the dead; even the most sophisticated scientists misapprehended their cause. Now Lucy Jago tells the story of the science--and the romance--behind the Northern Lights as she traces the grand adventure of the life of the visionary Norwegian scientist Kristian Birkeland.

At the age of thirty-one, Birkeland set out on a lifelong, increasingly compulsive quest to discover the origins of the aurora borealis. He traveled across some of the most forbidding landscapes on Earth, from the ice mountains of Norway to the deserts of Africa, against a backdrop of war and political upheaval. Along the way, Birkeland made some remarkable discoveries and inventions, such as the idea of hearing aids for deaf patients; of making caviar from cod roe; and of using the force of cathode rays to propel rockets. No country's armed forces ever adopted his electromagnetic cannon, but the technology has since been adapted and extended to make "railguns" (electromagnetic mass accelerators) for the American Strategic Defense Initiative--the so-called "Star Wars" Defense.

Ultimately, Kristian Birkeland's obsession with the workings of the cosmos cost him his health, his happiness, and his sanity--perhaps even his life. He spent his final days in exile in Egypt, and died in 1917 in Japan, under suspicious circumstances, his groundbreaking theories unheralded; he was cheated of the Nobel Prize by a rival. But now Birkeland?s ideas are considered to have been prophetic, and they have furthered our understanding not only of the Northern Lights but also of electromagnetism, comets, and the sun.

Exhaustively researched and thrillingly told, the previously unknown story of Kristian Birkeland is an enthralling--and enlightening--saga.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Nature, Astronomy, Biography Memoir

297 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Boudewijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biography of the Norwegian genius Kristian Birkeland, a man obsessed with finding the truth about the northern lights, from his first expedition to his mysterious death in a Japanese hotel room. Ridiculed and forgotten, his honour was restored in later years, when his theory were proven to be right.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating biography of the 19th-early 20th century Norwegian physicist, Kristian Birkeland. The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, were a lifelong obsession. He spent years in researching them. Although his theories were considered wrong by fellow scientists at the time, or at least they were met with indifference, space exploration in the mid-sixties has vindicated him and he is receiving his proper place in the history of science. He was a workaholic and his marriage broke up. He was cheated out of the Nobel Prize. Later, when he might have gotten it with another man for their work on auroras, he had died, and the Nobel isn't awarded posthumously. He had a brilliant mind and was always coming up with new ideas: for instance, improvements on hearing aids, margarine from vegetable fat, caviar from cod roe, and most importantly a process for fertilizer production. He spent years in Egypt and the Sudan, studying the Zodiacal Light, another celestial phenomenon, possibly the Biblical "pillar of fire". He died under murky circumstances in Japan.

Well written, for the educated layperson. Highly recommended.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an avid reader of scientific history books (for non scientists), especially when, as is in the case of this book, there is a fascinating mystery at the heart of the story. The Northern Lights is the tale of one man's quest or obsession, if you will, to discover the cause of the eerie visual phenomenon of the title. Kristian Birkeland was a man who was more than a good fifty years ahead of his time, and of course he met with the classic resistance to ideas which did not fit in with the reigning theories of his time. I also greatly appreciated that while the author made the a historical background clear, she also managed to convey some fairly complex ideas in electromagnetic theory, a subject I knew next to nothing about.

The Northern Lights is the story of Birkeland's struggles to not only understand the aurora borealis, but also his struggles to find scientific funding for his research and, ultimately acceptance of his theory. There was also continual battle royale with the extreme climate conditions he and his team met while gathering data in incredibly inhospitable places. Birkeland's quest exacted a very high personal toll, sadly; again, this is a story arc that we may all be familiar with, but it doesn't detract from the impact of the book.

A good comparison to this book would be Dava Sobel's Longitude, another story of a lone man singlehandedly coming up with a solution to a seemingly impossible problem. If you enjoyed Longitude, chances are you will also enjoy this book.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first four chapters are a ripping yarn of arctic adventure: trudging through the snow; fingers lost from frostbite; dire warnings from the native guide; trapped indoors for four weeks of howling, rattling, freezing blizzard; telephone lines down; fell into a crevasse; cut off from his companions; buried by an avalanche; two men dead.

Most authors would have interleaved the action scenes with quieter passages from later in the story. As it is, Lucy has spent her powder by chapter five, which frankly is a good place to stop reading.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book about Kristian Birkeland, a Norwegian scientist who in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries endeavoured to discover the science behind the Northern Lights.

Birkeland was a professor in the Faculty of Science and Mathematics at Christiana University. A man who was used to the comfort of a library or laboratory, his investigations led him and his team into some dangerous situations. The places best suited for viewing the Lights were also often isolated and subject to freezing temperatures. A member of his first expedition lost his fingers to frostbite. But Birkeland inspired loyalty in his students and they were willing to face danger with him. When they finally reached their base on that expedition the Lights appeared in the night sky;

"Birkeland understood for the first time why the Lights had defied neat explanation: they appeared not to belong to Earth but to space. Seemingly beyond human comprehension, they reached straight into the souls of those who witnessed them as an appearance of the angelic host or the Holy Spirit might do. The glowing banners in the sky were so entrancing that the group forgot the cold and remained outside, entering the hut occasionally to eat or drink but re-emerging to watch the breathtaking display dancing over their heads."

Money to fund his research was a constant problem in the early days and he had to spend time away from his studies to engage in money-making schemes. Some of these were very successful and allowed him to direct his own studies without being controlled by the university. This did produce some professional jealousy which made his life difficult at times. His work didn't receive the recognition it should've in his lifetime. I am very ill-educated about science but the impression I got from the book was that his theories threatened the status quo and the Royal Society in London stood out against them. Without the approval of the Royal Society, he found it difficult to be taken seriously elsewhere.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was written so beautifully and accessibly given how scientific and non fiction it was. I’m kind of emotional rn. Birkeland was so ahead of his time. Nearly all his hypotheses and theories weren’t proven true until more than 50 years after his death. During his life and several decades after, history was written by the winners (rich, privileged, ego-hungry) and nearly erased him and his contributions from existence and tried to discredit his work. He did so much for scientific knowledge and human understanding of physics.

[Karolina Tovaitė · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was hard not to finish this book in one reading so i did in two, both times i picked up this book Birkelands life absolutely captivated me, his curiosity was bigger than life and at times honestly made me quite jealous of his obsessions, they took him to the most interesting discoveries and places in the world. I love his sharp witt and little shenanigans he made time for.

The injustice he had to experience and how he was cheated out of a nobel prize, was not deserved. I deeply empathise with his insomnia and desperation which lead to such a tragic end.

The book is dense, i definitely plan on reading it again after some time because as of now i can’t tell if i have fully grasped the scientific parts of the book, but Lucy Jago did a brilliant job making it clear for the reader that this was a genius man of science and didn’t leave anything out. Bravo!

[Graham Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating man of science . Such genius at a time of such change . A contemporary of Tesla and a scientific revolutionary I found Birkelands story inspiring and tragic. Lucy Jago's book is an easy read.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It occurred to me that scientists are very much like artists. They are driven and tortured.

[Elizabeth Pappas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun and interesting read, but more as fictionalized history than as an actual biography—the author's disclaimer that she avoided footnotes, "telescoped" events to make the narrative flow, and invented "plausible" details make it hard to trust any specific item as fact.

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a developing fascination with the Aurora Borealis, I was delighted to stumble across this biography of a man who studied them at the turn of the century. I wouldn't say that this biography was a compelling read in its own right. It's not poorly written but it is a tad bit on the dry side. It felt very much like author Lucy Jago had limited information to go on piecing together the life of scientist Kristian Birkeland but she did her best to paint a portrait of the man with the facts at hand. She did good in this. This book is a nice, personable overview of Birkeland's life. The back cover of the book suggests that this book is "as gripping as a Conan Doyle adventure." Not so. That claim is a bit of a stretch in my humble estimation. But was the stry interesting all the same? Yes. Particularly if you enjoy learning about random scientific discoveries or are mystified by the night sky.

I wouldn't recommend it for "a fun read" but as an informative one.

[Andrea Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just going through the Book Lover's Diary that I kept and I came across this gem of a book. I heard Lucy Jago being interviewed on CBC Radio and I knew that I had to read this book! This true life story is an inspiration to all who aspire to do anything with their lives. Jago writes with clarity and depth. This story makes me want to see the Auroras! I will purchase this book and reread it!

[Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Kristian Birkeland, the Norwegian scientist who worked out what caused the Northern Lights. This is a fascinating biography of Birkeland's extremely interesting life that's both well-written and informative. A definite recommendation to anyone interested in science or cosmology. Or Norway.

[Linnae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this could be an interesting book. It is just too dense for me to get through right now. Sleep deprivation, courtesty of a newborn, saps my motivation to keep going back enough times to get to all the good parts. I need the Reader's Digest condensed version!

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Aurora Borealis (and Aurora Australis in the south) has captivated humans for thousands of years. The colors. The movements. Flowing curtains and rays of light. They have been considered omens of good and dark events in history. But this is the tale of a Norwegian scientist, Kristian Birkeland, who was fascinated with the polar lights and wanted to know what caused them and it see if they actually produced an effect on weather as well other atmospheric conditions.

The beginning of the book is basically an arctic adventure tale as Birkeland and his assistants spend the winter on the coldest, windiest mountain on the northern edges of Norway - taking readings and attempting to survive under conditions that even the locales would prefer not to deal with.

Birkeland was obviously a genius and his scientific mind - unfortunately - gave him far too medical problems even as it gave him the brilliant ability to make an intuitive jump that many scientists don't make. Other inventions (an electromagnetic cannon and a furnace that fixed nitrogen for fertilizer) distracted him for a time - even years - but he always came back to the aurora and the expeditions that he was able to send to bitterly cold locations to make measurements and provide readings. Even his own time in the Sudan, Egypt and eventually Japan still had time for evaluating and writing about the results of earlier expeditions.

Unfortunately, that brilliant mind also drove him to alcoholism and addiction to a poisonous sleeping aid. But just about all of his theories regarding the auroras eventually were proven true although he did not live to have his work recognized especially as it was disdained by the English Royal Society of London along with his difficulties with the partner in the fertilizer business that obstructed his being given the Noble Prize for his work.

Interesting and certainly an easy read about the discovery of the aurora. The only negative is that Jago's attempt to give a complete view of his life, there are times that you just want Birkeland to get back to the auroras and magnetism and coronal mass ejections! But he was - despite the sometime maniacal focus on his work - a more rounded individual that was not just limited to atmospheric phenomena.

2022-211

[Alison Scott]

This is a slightly dramatised biography of Kristian Birkeland, the Norwegian physicist who first postulated an accurate explanation for the Northern Lights, and for whom Birkeland Currents are named. It was given to me by my Octothorpe co-host John Coxon after I asked him to explain his research to me.

Books of this kind sit on a scale between straight biography, with every assertion meticulously footnoted, and historical fiction. Jago's book is somewhere in the middle. It has no footnotes, and she has admitted some liberties, but she has not attempted to write a work of fiction here. Birkeland's life had plenty of incident but perhaps not that much documentation, and Jago builds from the letters, papers and contemporary reports that exist, and fills in gaps with reasonable extrapolations. I would personally prefer footnotes or endnotes to make clear what the sources are, though the bibliography helps here. The book is at its best in the early chapters dealing with the perils of Arctic field observations, and at its worst while failing to help us understand Birkeland's descent into paranoia and substance abuse towards the end of his life. But it's never less than an interesting read.

Given my incentive for reading it, I would have liked to see a great deal more science, but that's just me. I did enjoy some of the glimpses into the way that scientific endeavour worked at the turn of the twentieth century, including examples of international collaboration and friendship, and also obstruction. There's also an epilogue that explains a little about the importance of Birkeland's discoveries and how long it took for his theories to be proved correct (not until about fifty years after his death).

Finally, the subtitle of this book is "How one man sacrificed love, happiness and sanity to unlock the secrets of space." This would better read "How one man found happiness by unlocking the secrets of space while seriously neglecting his physical and mental health and all his friends and relatives." But that's what obsession is for, right?

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not read the whole book. I read the introduction and the first chapter and stopped there, as what I read just in that initial part made me question the reliability of "The Northern Lights" as a work of non-fiction.

The first warning flag was the following line in the introduction, "In an effort to prevent the book from becoming an academic text or a standard biography…".

The second was: "I have kept references to a minimum and there are no footnotes."

The clincher, however, was, "I have telescoped events in order to avoid making the work too long and made assumptions that are not documented..."

From this, I found myself thinking, "So basically, the author is changing the timeline, making some things up, and isn't going to provide sufficient annotation to tell us what was based on actual evidence and what isn't...."

At that point, I was inclined to stop, but I decided to at least read the first chapter, which was written in a dramatic style and filled with details that seemed more evocative of a novel (or a screenpay) than a work of non-fiction (even a non-academic one). To many readers, I suppose, that may be appealing-- but for me, this just didn't work. I was looking for a work of popular scientific history/biography-- not a dramatization.

[Diana Suddreth · Rating 4 out of 5]

How unfortunate that I had never before heard of Kristian Birkeland, the Norwegian physicist whose theories and experiments provided the basis for understanding the Northern Lights. Birkeland was worthy of the Nobel Prize he so earnestly desired but never received.

Birkeland's life was both tragic and monumental. He was a visionary who created ideas seemingly from thin air, laying the groundwork for everything from production of salt peter to radiation treatment for cancer. Yet, it was his work on his passion, the lights of the night sky that drove him to work beyond his body's ability and most likely led to his mysterious death after a lifetime of disappointment.

The first few chapters describe the excitement of going to a Norwegian mountaintop in winter to study the aurora borealis and the rest of the book documents Birkeland's quest for funding, his experiments in his university laboratory, his love and loss, and his studies of the Zodiacal Lights (something completely new to me) in Egypt.

It's a fascinating bit of history, well-written and enjoyable. Lucy Jago makes electromagnetism understandable and Birkeland relatable. It was a wonderful book to read before our own trip to Norway.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in Norway history you would appreciate Lucy Jago's thorough information regarding the country 1885-1917. Although the main subject is science in search of the truth about the aurora borealis. The group of men were highly intelligent and focused on every available scientific instrument possible.

Apparently there are sources in writing, notes taken, and full accounting of every project attempted by this group. They were students and professors almost as capable as Professor Birkeland along with being loyal to his cause and his theories. Interesting also was the opposing crowd that offered no validation in fact created difficulties all along. The beautiful part of the book was the dedication, the drive everyone seemed to have.

The contrast of then and now is startling. This myopic struggle is a lost art, but reading about Norwegians and their pride of country, their resilience, is an example to the rest of the world with so many countries in the same mode of struggle. Remarkable to realize in the 70s and forward Science is able to validate his findings and be in awe of such a great mind today.

[Patsy Goodsir · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a mind? What a man? His obsession to find the secrets of the Aurora Borealis governed his entire life. So many doubters, unwilling to accept his theories.
His was a life filled with financial struggle, heartbreak, betrayal and ill health. Yet nothing swayed him from his theory that somehow the sun was involved with the mysterious Aurora.
Many doubted him and tried to disprove his theories. Sadly his biggest opponent seems to have been a Brit. Such a shame that it was after his death that his research was finally proved beyond doubt.
I actually shed a tear at the end of this amazing tale of one man's utter conviction to prove what causes the mysterious Aurora that thrills us with her enchanting dance.

[Veronica-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography by Lucy Jago of a brilliant scientist, Professor Kristian Birkeland. A man who was driven to solving the mystery of the Northern Lights. The story of his discoveries and what it took to achieve them was like reading a spy novel at times. Although a trifle dry when it came to the scientific facts of his inventions, his journey was anything but dry as you hold your breath while you imagine yourself right there with the professor and his team as they struggle to survive the most dangerous and life-threatening conditions. He was also an incredible inventor who was way before his time and sadly did not get the full and true recognition he deserved until many years after his death. Highly recommended.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read non fiction and this is by far one of the more technical reads I have done in a long while. Astrophysics is not a topic that I understand but I did find this biographical telling of the search for the sources of the aurora borealis to be quite entertaining. I did find myself glossing over the more technical aspects. It surprized me that our understanding of the aurora is so new. Overall, the story of Birkeland and his struggles make a very interesting read...even if you have to skim over his science.

[Wendy Capron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Birkeland was like the Elon Musk of his time (died 1917) - he had a million ideas (patents for radiation treatment for cancer, hearing aids, margarine, etc. And he made his money to finance his real interests with something he wasn't really interested in at all. Also, he went crazy and worked himself to death - I hope not Musk's fate.
I learned who the Cassini mission was named for - the guy who first wrote about the Zodiacal Light. Domenico C.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about lesser known stories of science. This interesting story falls into that category. Would have benefited by some color images of the Aurora borealis, as well as the Zodiacal lights.

A minor observation is that it read like a story that has been translated into English. Frequent use of odd sentence structure not attributable to differences in American English and British English (the author bio suggests she is British) Maybe the story just needed a better copy editor.

[Janta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really should make a GR shelf for all the books for which my reviews begin with "I'd never heard of this person". This is another for that list. Birkeland was really ahead of his time, and it's a pity he's not better known. Ithought this was quite an interesting account, and recommend this for anyone with an interest in science history. One caveat: some of the language Jago uses is a bit out of date (e.g., "Lapps" instead of Sámi, "Eskimo" instead of Inuit/Yupik).

[Lillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this, in reality, a 3.7 because it was very well written and I enjoyed many parts (specifically about hearing about Birkeland’s stay in the Haide Observatory) but some parts were difficult for me to understand as my physics knowledge is limited to ninth grade online school physics. I believe that if I read this book again after taking college physics I will understand a great deal more of the scientific aspects discussed in this book.

[Mark Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The late 19th and early 20th century were full of scientific discoveries that transformed our understanding of the world. Among the amazing people leading the way was Kristian Birkeland, who uncovered the solar forces that create the aurora borealis. On top of that, he invented an electric cannon, a new way to create nitrogen and models that demonstrated the magnetic fields.

While reading, you could envision the struggles - scientific, political and personal - that Birkeland faced.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love stories about discoveries, and this is one! Danger, intrigue, struggles with those who sought to cheat him out of his discoveries, a tragic ending...the story of Kristian Birkeland really kept my attention. Sometimes the technical aspects of his experiments were more than I could follow, but the book read like a good story.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viking Cruises recommended this book to read before our "In search of the northern lights cruise, scheduled for Jan-Feb 2022. Given current COVID-19 restrictions, the cruise may not take place or Americans won't be allowed into Norway. Even if we don't go, I am so glad you have read this fascinating story.

[Marcie J · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is too technical, has too many unexplained technical terms, and is too long. If it was a 50 page monograph then I might have liked it. He was an obsessed scientist who was singularly focused on his work. He made some interesting discoveries—some accidentally—but it’s hard to believe the author’s claim that he was in the running for the Nobel Prize.