Michael Faraday, Man of Science

by Walter Jerrold

From the preface: "A life-story such as that of Michael Faraday is both easy and difficult to tell—it is easy in that he passed a simple and unadventurous life; it is difficult, partly, perhaps, for the same reason, and partly because the story of his life-work is a story of the wonderful advance made in natural science during the first half of the present century. Any detailed account of that scientific work would be out of place in a biography such as the present, which aims at showing[vi] by the testimony of those who knew him and by an account of his relations with his fellow-men, how nobly unselfish, how simple, yet how grand and useful, was the long life of Michael Faraday."

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1891

About the author

English writer, biographer and newspaper editor. Walter Copeland Jerrold (1865-1929) was born in Liverpool but spent most of his life in London, where he followed a literary career. Starting work as a clerk in a newspaper counting-house, he went on to become deputy editor of The Observer. He edited many classic texts for the newly founded Everyman’s Library, he wrote biographies, he produced stories for children under the name of Walter Copeland.

"Tradition in the nursery has acted as a severe editor." He had five daughters (m. Clara Armstrong Bridgman 1895), and one, Ianthe Jerrold (1898–1977) wrote fiction.

Biographies (Lamb 1905),
Children's books (Big Book of Fables 1987),
Classic texts for Everyman's Library,
Travel books for Blackie & Son "Beautiful England" series (Hampton Court 1916)

Reviews

[Carol Spears · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style was very annoying. A lot of "He was a lovely man and I am going to show you examples in other chapters...."

[Öykü Coşkun · Rating 3 out of 5]

not liked very much. there is nothing about the scientific research areas of Faraday and his studies on them. I expected to find more about his scientific character instead of people in his life and places he has been.