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The Amazing Story of Lise Meitner: Escaping the Nazis and Becoming the World’s Greatest Physicist
The book describes how Lisa Meitner, of Jewish heritage, found herself working as a physicist at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin when the Nazis came to power in 1933; how she was hounded out of the country and forced to relocate to Sweden; how German chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman continued with the project - on the effect of bombarding uranium (the heaviest known element at the time) with neutrons, a project which Lise herself had initiated, being the intellectual leader of the group. It describes how Hahn and Strassmann, with whom she kept in touch, came up with some extraordinary results which they were at a loss to explain; how Lise, and her nephew Otto Frisch, who was also a physicist, confirmed what they had achieved - the 'splitting of the atom', no less, and provided them with a theoretical explanation for it. This laid the foundation for nuclear power, medical-scanning technology, radiotherapy, electronics, and of course, the atomic bomb - the creation of which filled Lise with horror. It describes the crucial part that Lise played in our understanding of the world of atoms, and how deliberate and strenuous attempts were made to deny her contribution; to belittle her achievements, and to write her out of the history books, even though Albert Einstein said she was even 'more talented than Marie Curie herself'. The author is fortunate and honoured to have been granted several interviews with Lise's nephew Philip Meitner - himself a refugee from the Nazis - who with his wife Anne, provided much valuable information and many photographs.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
264 pages, Hardcover
Published July 8, 2021
8 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Norman
99 books9 followersIn 1970 he qualified in medicine and worked as a family doctor in the UK until 1983 when sustaining a back injury.
Then deciding to use his diagnostic skills in a different way and become a writer.
Then deciding to use his diagnostic skills in a different way and become a writer.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 21, 2021
Excellent book that not just is a comprehensive biography of Lise Meitner, but also a detailed , lucid account of the development of nuclear physics in the first half of the 20th Century. This was taught to us at school, and I remember all of it quite well, because it's really interesting-how the world works at a sub-atomic level, but we were obviously taught only the end results of decades and decades of painstaking observations and experimentations. I have a school-level understanding of the processes of fission and fusion, but it's fascinating to see the step-by step ways in which the mechanics of these nuclear processes were observed and analysed, and understood. This book brings out Newton's quote extremely well, of scientific discoveries that are achieved through "standing on the shoulders of giants". Scientific discovery is an incremental process, and each step is integral to the final result. How are discoveries finally credited though? Therein lies the rub, and the injustice done to Lise Meitner .
The book perfectly strikes a balance between chronicling all her scientific achievements, without the complexity of nuclear physics overwhelming you-there are helpful explanations throughout, and you're not confused at all about each step of their process. It's written very well, and though the writer's describing a collaborative epistolary process involving discussions of observations, trying out various theories, calculations to see if they fit, it's practically edge-of-the-seat, and when Meitner and Frisch finally work out the maths of it and it works, I felt like yelling "Eureka" myself! When he quotes from Frisch's paper detailing the process, and deciding to use the word 'fission' to describe it, you find yourself almost suppressing a gasp-this is a commonplace word now and I associate it almost entirely with nuclear energy, but this is how it all started.
Her immense courage and perseverance shine through the book, her escape from Nazi Germany in her 60s, her struggles with inadequate lab facilities and funding, her keen interest in the scientific world throughout. The best part of the book, to me, was the descriptions of the Nobel Committee and the complete lack of transparency and fairness at all, in the awarding of honours. It explains a lot about the Literature Nobel selections! The author has meticulously constructed a timeline of events, using diary entries and letters, to show just how much of a deliberate elision of her name was carried out by Otto Hahn, while proposing the theory of nuclear fission. In Nazi Germany, Meitner's name could not be included in the paper as it would be completely discredited, being the work of a Jewish scientist. After it was over, however, nothing prevented Hahn from giving her credit as she was due, something he never did, and actively worked to prevent. It was only in the 90s that Meitner, credited till then as "Hahn's assistant", a complete travesty given that she had set up the entire nuclear Physics department, and was more his boss than assistant, was restored in documents and laboratory labels as the Head of the Department.
A fascinating part of the book were the chapters where the author writes the "Farm Hall 10"-10 German scientists, some who had been Nazis, others who hadn't, who were brought to England towards the end of the war, and interrogated about their work, and political leanings. All of them vehemently denied being Nazis, of course. Farm Hall was bugged, and the author's made meticulous use of their transcripts, to discuss this entire period of history. A theory that's been discussed everywhere, including Michael Frayn's great play 'Copenhagen', is that Nazi Germany did not develop the atomic bomb through the active efforts of nuclear physicists, specially Werner von Heisenberg, to sabotage it. The author attempts a fact checking of how true this claim is, and even his detailing of his documentary source is compelling-he constructs a quite damaging picture of just how comfortable with the Nazi regime all these scientists were-multiple meetings and lectures to senior Nazi officials with assurances of work on the atom bomb, meetings with senior Nazi leaders including Goebbels, Himmler and Goering. From all of these sources, the author theorises that the atom bomb wasn't developed not because the scientists themselves worked to prevent that, but arose more from the wrong basic starting points to develop it, and a lack of enthusiasm from Hitler towards developing it. Enemies changed quickly, though, after World War II, and since these scientists were going to prove themselves useful towards the Cold War effort, their reputations were rehabilitated, and they were portrayed as courageous dissenters, when not all of them were, some (including Hahn) were enthusiastic NAzi supporters from the 1930s onwards.
After the war, Meitner's importance to nuclear fission was given a lot more primacy, and she was recognised as a driving force behind it. She went on lecture tours across the world, traveled, went on hiking holidays, and to some extent, that alleviated all those years of suffering and the lack of recognition. She may not have a Nobel prize, but an element in the periodic table has been named after her. A thousand years from now, the Nobel Prizes might cease to exist. Meitnerium, however, will not, and might even be present across the universe, like the process of nuclear fission, the understanding of which she contributed so much to. As a tribute, I think that's a far more lasting immortality.
The book perfectly strikes a balance between chronicling all her scientific achievements, without the complexity of nuclear physics overwhelming you-there are helpful explanations throughout, and you're not confused at all about each step of their process. It's written very well, and though the writer's describing a collaborative epistolary process involving discussions of observations, trying out various theories, calculations to see if they fit, it's practically edge-of-the-seat, and when Meitner and Frisch finally work out the maths of it and it works, I felt like yelling "Eureka" myself! When he quotes from Frisch's paper detailing the process, and deciding to use the word 'fission' to describe it, you find yourself almost suppressing a gasp-this is a commonplace word now and I associate it almost entirely with nuclear energy, but this is how it all started.
Her immense courage and perseverance shine through the book, her escape from Nazi Germany in her 60s, her struggles with inadequate lab facilities and funding, her keen interest in the scientific world throughout. The best part of the book, to me, was the descriptions of the Nobel Committee and the complete lack of transparency and fairness at all, in the awarding of honours. It explains a lot about the Literature Nobel selections! The author has meticulously constructed a timeline of events, using diary entries and letters, to show just how much of a deliberate elision of her name was carried out by Otto Hahn, while proposing the theory of nuclear fission. In Nazi Germany, Meitner's name could not be included in the paper as it would be completely discredited, being the work of a Jewish scientist. After it was over, however, nothing prevented Hahn from giving her credit as she was due, something he never did, and actively worked to prevent. It was only in the 90s that Meitner, credited till then as "Hahn's assistant", a complete travesty given that she had set up the entire nuclear Physics department, and was more his boss than assistant, was restored in documents and laboratory labels as the Head of the Department.
A fascinating part of the book were the chapters where the author writes the "Farm Hall 10"-10 German scientists, some who had been Nazis, others who hadn't, who were brought to England towards the end of the war, and interrogated about their work, and political leanings. All of them vehemently denied being Nazis, of course. Farm Hall was bugged, and the author's made meticulous use of their transcripts, to discuss this entire period of history. A theory that's been discussed everywhere, including Michael Frayn's great play 'Copenhagen', is that Nazi Germany did not develop the atomic bomb through the active efforts of nuclear physicists, specially Werner von Heisenberg, to sabotage it. The author attempts a fact checking of how true this claim is, and even his detailing of his documentary source is compelling-he constructs a quite damaging picture of just how comfortable with the Nazi regime all these scientists were-multiple meetings and lectures to senior Nazi officials with assurances of work on the atom bomb, meetings with senior Nazi leaders including Goebbels, Himmler and Goering. From all of these sources, the author theorises that the atom bomb wasn't developed not because the scientists themselves worked to prevent that, but arose more from the wrong basic starting points to develop it, and a lack of enthusiasm from Hitler towards developing it. Enemies changed quickly, though, after World War II, and since these scientists were going to prove themselves useful towards the Cold War effort, their reputations were rehabilitated, and they were portrayed as courageous dissenters, when not all of them were, some (including Hahn) were enthusiastic NAzi supporters from the 1930s onwards.
After the war, Meitner's importance to nuclear fission was given a lot more primacy, and she was recognised as a driving force behind it. She went on lecture tours across the world, traveled, went on hiking holidays, and to some extent, that alleviated all those years of suffering and the lack of recognition. She may not have a Nobel prize, but an element in the periodic table has been named after her. A thousand years from now, the Nobel Prizes might cease to exist. Meitnerium, however, will not, and might even be present across the universe, like the process of nuclear fission, the understanding of which she contributed so much to. As a tribute, I think that's a far more lasting immortality.
June 16, 2021
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Amazing Story of Lise Meitner is a new biography of the iconic physicist written by Dr. Andrew Norman. Due out 7th July 2021 from Pen & Sword, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardback format.
The book is layman accessible, and I found it a fascinating read. It's well annotated (and the chapter notes and index make for fascinating further reading) but doesn't get bogged down in overly academic language. The biography is straightforward and doesn't dwell too much on minutiae with a notable exception. The author is quite thorough in the chapter on the Meitner family connections which includes short one-paragraph bios on many of them which was interesting and gave some scope to the appalling losses during the war and how scattered families became during the early to mid 20th century.
The book is full of quotes from Meitner's own correspondence (she hints at lots of juicy academic gossip at the highest levels) as well as quotes from contemporary interviews and media reports on her and her work. What absolutely fascinating tales she could have told.
The chapter notes and bibliography are for papers and research many of which are presented in languages other than English (chiefly German) so readers who would like to delve deeper will need to read German or find translations.
Five stars. Heartily recommended for readers of science, history, and similar subjects. This would be a good choice for readers of science history who are not, themselves, physicists. Although the book is about physicists and their interactions and squabbles and politics, it's doesn't contain much actual physics (which is a plus for readers who don't have a strong maths or physics background).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Amazing Story of Lise Meitner is a new biography of the iconic physicist written by Dr. Andrew Norman. Due out 7th July 2021 from Pen & Sword, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardback format.
The book is layman accessible, and I found it a fascinating read. It's well annotated (and the chapter notes and index make for fascinating further reading) but doesn't get bogged down in overly academic language. The biography is straightforward and doesn't dwell too much on minutiae with a notable exception. The author is quite thorough in the chapter on the Meitner family connections which includes short one-paragraph bios on many of them which was interesting and gave some scope to the appalling losses during the war and how scattered families became during the early to mid 20th century.
The book is full of quotes from Meitner's own correspondence (she hints at lots of juicy academic gossip at the highest levels) as well as quotes from contemporary interviews and media reports on her and her work. What absolutely fascinating tales she could have told.
The chapter notes and bibliography are for papers and research many of which are presented in languages other than English (chiefly German) so readers who would like to delve deeper will need to read German or find translations.
Five stars. Heartily recommended for readers of science, history, and similar subjects. This would be a good choice for readers of science history who are not, themselves, physicists. Although the book is about physicists and their interactions and squabbles and politics, it's doesn't contain much actual physics (which is a plus for readers who don't have a strong maths or physics background).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
May 14, 2021
I enjoyed this book. There is some great story-telling, especially about Lise Meitner's escape from Germany. It came across clearly to me that author Andrew Norman greatly admires Lise Meitner, but this book is not a fawning biography. I felt that it is an honest portrayal of Meitner’s personality and life. But sometimes the book is too detailed, lapsing into lists of places and events, which I found tedious.
Norman explains the science as he goes, with just enough detail to explain and no more. But this book isn't about science; science is the backdrop. The book is about friendship, rivalry, betrayal, and bigotry. At this, the book excels. Overall this book is well worth reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pen & Sword History for the advance reader copy.
Norman explains the science as he goes, with just enough detail to explain and no more. But this book isn't about science; science is the backdrop. The book is about friendship, rivalry, betrayal, and bigotry. At this, the book excels. Overall this book is well worth reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pen & Sword History for the advance reader copy.
April 23, 2024
Difficile definire appieno questo libro. L'autore segue più fili conduttori, a volte in parallelo a volte in successione e si perde il senso di cosa sia realmente il centro del libro.
Una specie di bignami per tappe, pieno di date e citazioni ma che non si legge con facilità.
Lise Meitner nacque in Austria nel 1878 da una agiata famiglia ebraica.
La sua biografia è assai interessante per la caparbietà con cui, in tempi in cui l'educazione femminile si fermava alle scuole medie, persegui ogni tipo di studio e mantenne la sua curiosità aperta e la mente indipendente.
Quando si aprirono le porte per i licei alle donne, ben più tardi del dovuto, sostenne l'esame da privatista (e da notare è il sostegno che ebbe dalla famiglia nel suo proseguire gli studi) e si iscrisse all'università.
La biografia nel libro è scarna, fissa i momenti importanti della sua vita e della sua educazione nello stesso modo in cui segue per date le grandi scoperte che avrebbero rivoluzionato la fisica del XX secolo.
Lise Meitner lavorò (spesso non pagata) negli istituti di fisica della Germania (non erano previsti ruoli per le donne) e collaborò per anni con Otto Hahn e Fritz Strassmann, che per anni furono gli unici a cui venne attribuita la scoperta della fissione nucleare per cui Hahn vinse anche il Nobel.
A causa dell'annessione dell'Austria alla Germania e a causa delle sue origini ebraiche (Lise Meitner venne educata al protestantesimo ed era la fede che professava) le venne impedito di insegnare e di ricoprire ruoli nel Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut dove lavorava. Nel 1939 si rese conto che la situazione in Germania stava precipitando e si decise a scappare in Svezia, attraversano Paesi Bassi e Danimarca, con l'aiuto dei suoi colleghi Tedeschi ed Europei.
Mantenne costanti contatti epistolari con colleghi e conoscenti che hanno permesso di ricostruire la sua vita in "esilio", le sue difficoltà nel proseguire le sue ricerche e il suo pensiero scientifico.
Sebbene non fosse presente in Germania al momento dell'esperimento di Hahn in cui questi generò la fissione dell'atomo di Uranio, fu Lise (la teorica e fisica del gruppo) dalla lontana Svezia e con l'aiuto di suo nipote Otto Frisch a spiegare la teoria della fissione e prevedere esattamente cosa si stesse formano giustificando e prevedendo esattamente quali atomi si sarebbero formati e le energie in gioco.
Interessante per portare l'attenzione su una brillante scienziata meno conosciuta dei suoi colleghi maschi, viene da domandarsi quanto la sua mente avrebbe potuto contribuire al pensiero scientifico se non si fosse dovuta scontrare con il bias sulle donne e se avesse potuto seguire i suoi studi con tranquillità e fondi.
In parallelo e di sfuggita si accenna a come venivano assegnati i Nobel, alla ricerca sul nucleare a fini bellici ed al reintegrare gli scienziati tedeschi nella comunità scientifica dopo la seconda guerra mondiale.
Tanti argomenti, tanti spunti ma una narrazione scarna, per date e con un filo conduttore traballante.
Una specie di bignami per tappe, pieno di date e citazioni ma che non si legge con facilità.
Lise Meitner nacque in Austria nel 1878 da una agiata famiglia ebraica.
La sua biografia è assai interessante per la caparbietà con cui, in tempi in cui l'educazione femminile si fermava alle scuole medie, persegui ogni tipo di studio e mantenne la sua curiosità aperta e la mente indipendente.
Quando si aprirono le porte per i licei alle donne, ben più tardi del dovuto, sostenne l'esame da privatista (e da notare è il sostegno che ebbe dalla famiglia nel suo proseguire gli studi) e si iscrisse all'università.
La biografia nel libro è scarna, fissa i momenti importanti della sua vita e della sua educazione nello stesso modo in cui segue per date le grandi scoperte che avrebbero rivoluzionato la fisica del XX secolo.
Lise Meitner lavorò (spesso non pagata) negli istituti di fisica della Germania (non erano previsti ruoli per le donne) e collaborò per anni con Otto Hahn e Fritz Strassmann, che per anni furono gli unici a cui venne attribuita la scoperta della fissione nucleare per cui Hahn vinse anche il Nobel.
A causa dell'annessione dell'Austria alla Germania e a causa delle sue origini ebraiche (Lise Meitner venne educata al protestantesimo ed era la fede che professava) le venne impedito di insegnare e di ricoprire ruoli nel Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut dove lavorava. Nel 1939 si rese conto che la situazione in Germania stava precipitando e si decise a scappare in Svezia, attraversano Paesi Bassi e Danimarca, con l'aiuto dei suoi colleghi Tedeschi ed Europei.
Mantenne costanti contatti epistolari con colleghi e conoscenti che hanno permesso di ricostruire la sua vita in "esilio", le sue difficoltà nel proseguire le sue ricerche e il suo pensiero scientifico.
Sebbene non fosse presente in Germania al momento dell'esperimento di Hahn in cui questi generò la fissione dell'atomo di Uranio, fu Lise (la teorica e fisica del gruppo) dalla lontana Svezia e con l'aiuto di suo nipote Otto Frisch a spiegare la teoria della fissione e prevedere esattamente cosa si stesse formano giustificando e prevedendo esattamente quali atomi si sarebbero formati e le energie in gioco.
Interessante per portare l'attenzione su una brillante scienziata meno conosciuta dei suoi colleghi maschi, viene da domandarsi quanto la sua mente avrebbe potuto contribuire al pensiero scientifico se non si fosse dovuta scontrare con il bias sulle donne e se avesse potuto seguire i suoi studi con tranquillità e fondi.
In parallelo e di sfuggita si accenna a come venivano assegnati i Nobel, alla ricerca sul nucleare a fini bellici ed al reintegrare gli scienziati tedeschi nella comunità scientifica dopo la seconda guerra mondiale.
Tanti argomenti, tanti spunti ma una narrazione scarna, per date e con un filo conduttore traballante.
July 6, 2021
A well written story that has everything you look for in a good book with the extra bonus of the reader knowing its real.` Lise Meitners life is an inspirational story, but even more a true example of how we cannot let anything keep us from our dreams and aspirations. If Ms Meitner can triumph over the circumstances she lived through during WWII, then most of us need to reevaluate why we complain about things so much.~ Andrew Norman did a fantastic job and should be so proud of bringing Lise Meitners story to the world.
June 13, 2021
Many thanks to both the publisher and to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book to read. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.
This was a very enjoyable read about an amazing woman. At first, given the subject material, I was worried it would be very "science based" (as it was not my best subject in school!). But it wasn't. The author tells you just enough so that you have an idea of what's going on but the story is very much about Lise.
This was a very enjoyable read about an amazing woman. At first, given the subject material, I was worried it would be very "science based" (as it was not my best subject in school!). But it wasn't. The author tells you just enough so that you have an idea of what's going on but the story is very much about Lise.
December 5, 2021
The Amazing Story of Lise Meitner is a biography of the incredible physicist who escaped Nazi Germany. Her work was integral to understanding the atom. Her work was all the more impressive given how much harder a Jewish woman had to work at the time just to be heard.
This is a well-written book that is accessible to all, even if you aren't particularly science-savvy. A good read.
Many thanks to Andrew Norman, NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this copy.
This is a well-written book that is accessible to all, even if you aren't particularly science-savvy. A good read.
Many thanks to Andrew Norman, NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this copy.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews