Originally published in 1936, this book deals with the first writings of a medical nature known to be associated with any English hospital and their mysterious author, Johannes de Mirfeld. Hartley and Aldridge provide the original Latin text of all of Mirfeld's works, along with an English translation on each facing page. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in medical history.

Active in fields spanning medicine, ornithology, zoology and even watercolour painting, Frederick Dawtrey Drewitt (1848-1942) was a prominent fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, exhibited at the Royal Academy, and was involved in governing the National Trust. His particular interest in birds led him to study the work of the physician and naturalist Edward Jenner (1749-1823), who contributed to the field of ornithology through his observations of the cuckoo's behaviour. Jenner is better known, however, as the 'father of immunology' for pioneering the smallpox vaccination - the word 'vaccine' comes from the Latin vacca (cow) as Jenner used the cowpox virus to inoculate against smallpox infection in humans. Drewitt had general readers in mind when he wrote about Jenner's extraordinary life and growing worldwide recognition. The first edition of this biography was published in 1931, and this enlarged second edition appeared in 1933.

In 1870, Sir William Crookes (1832-1919) travelled to Gibraltar to observe the solar eclipse. He kept a diary and produced beautiful accounts of the expedition - alongside altogether more specific observations, including the 656 steps down a local cliff face, and every item in his luggage. It is with the same meticulous approach and cheerful prose that he records, in letters, journal articles and reports, the successes and failures of the vast range of projects in which he was involved. Although initially trained as a chemist, Crookes worked across the spectrum of the sciences, from consulting on preventative measures against cattle plague through to investigating spiritualism. Opening with a foreword by the physicist Sir Oliver Lodge, this biography by Edmund Edward Fournier d'Albe (1868-1933), first published in 1923, explores a remarkable life of enquiry through a host of first-hand sources.

As a civil engineer, Sir John Fowler (1817-98) devoted his life to the railways. His best-known achievements include the first railway bridge across the Thames in London, Manchester Central Station, the development of the London Underground and (with Sir Benjamin Baker) the Forth Bridge - arguably the most remarkable feat of engineering of the nineteenth century. Given access to friends and family papers, the author and social theorist Thomas Mackay (1849-1912) portrays a man who was fascinated by engineering as a child, and who continued to work up until his death. As a portrait of one of the architects of Victorian Britain, this biography, first published in 1900, will be of great interest to historians of the period as well as readers wishing to know more about the development of iconic infrastructure.

In this remarkable journal, written in crayon on scraps of paper early in the 20th century, we meet the precocious young girl Opal Whiteley, who lived in a logging camp in Oregon. This book chronicles her adventures with the people, plants, and animals around her. As author Christopher Morley wrote, "Opal is not only a born writer, she has that magnificent and perpetual curiosity that is the mark of the scientific spirit. Things have to her 'an interest look' and she wants to know all about them. Whether it may be the number of stripes on a snake's back, or what will happen to the rooster if dipped in a vat of blue dye, or how the cabbages will behave if dug up and set for a day to dapple their toes in the brook and then replanted, or what effect lemon juice will have on a churnful of milk, or the possibilities of vaseline as a furniture polish--all these certainly fascinating problems are part of Opal's excellent testimony to the excitement of existence. But it is to give an entirely wrong impression if one describes the book as humorous. There is much in it that is richly amusing, but it far better than that. The Story of Opal, which is the loveliness and tragedy of that essence which is doomed in every human heart--the spirit of childhood--will stand to some of us as a permanent and shining interpretation of the greatest of all beatitudes--that which asserts the vision that comes to the pure in heart. It is a book of singular beauty and authority."

John Evelyn (1620 1706), intellectual, diarist, gardener and founder member of the Royal Society, is best known for his Diary, the great journal of his life and times, encompassing a momentous period in British history. A lifelong collector of books, like his contemporary Pepys, Evelyn amassed over 4,000 items in his library. This work, originally published in 1664, was the first English-language treatise on forestry. Intended for the gentry, it aimed to encourage tree-planting after the ravages of the Civil War and to ensure a supply of timber for Britain's fast-developing navy. The first work sponsored officially by the Royal Society, it was an offshoot of Evelyn's unpublished manuscript Elysium Britannicum, a compendium of gardens and gardening. This is the 1908 two-volume reprint of the fourth edition, published in the year of Evelyn's death. Volume 1 describes different species of tree, deciduous and evergreen, and includes an introductory biography of Evelyn by John Nisbet (1858 1914).

John Evelyn (1620 1706), intellectual, diarist, gardener and founder member of the Royal Society, is best known for his Diary, the great journal of his life and times, encompassing a momentous period in British history. A lifelong collector of books, like his contemporary Pepys, Evelyn amassed over 4,000 items in his library. This work, originally published in 1664, was the first English-language treatise on forestry. Intended for the gentry, it aimed to encourage tree-planting after the ravages of the Civil War and to ensure a supply of timber for Britain's fast-developing navy. The first work sponsored officially by the Royal Society, it was an offshoot of Evelyn's unpublished manuscript Elysium Britannicum, a compendium of gardens and gardening. This is the 1908 two-volume reprint of the fourth edition, published in the year of Evelyn's death. Volume 2 covers practical aspects of forestry and the use of trees in landscaping.

Admired long after his death by the likes of Lord Rayleigh and Einstein, Thomas Young (1773-1829) was the definition of a polymath. By the age of fourteen he was proficient in thirteen languages, including Greek, Hebrew and Persian. After studies in Edinburgh, London, Goettingen and Cambridge he established himself as a physician in London, and over the course of his life made contributions to science, linguistics and music. He was the first to prove that light is a wave rather than molecular, his three-colour theory of vision was confirmed in the twentieth century, and his work in deciphering the Rosetta Stone laid the foundations for its eventual translation. Published in 1855, this engaging biography drew on letters, journals and private papers, taking the mathematician George Peacock (1791-1858) twenty years to complete. It stands as a valuable and affectionate portrait of 'the last man who knew everything'.

Originally published in 1931, this book formed part of The Craftsman Series, which aimed to give secondary school age children an insight into 'the development of constructive activities in the sphere of material things'. James Nasmyth (1808 90) was a Scottish engineer who made an integral contribution to the industrial revolution through the invention of the steam hammer. The text is comprised of extracts from the complete version of The Autobiography of James Nasmyth (1883). These extracts offer an engaging account of Nasmyth's life and work, beginning with his early experiences and moving through his major achievements as an engineer. An editorial preface, glossary and illustrative figures are also included. This is a highly readable book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in Nasmyth, mechanical engineering and books for schools."

A New Statesman Book of the Year for 2017

His father conceived of the Brooklyn Bridge, but it was Washington Roebling who built this iconic feat of human engineering after his father's tragic death. It has stood for more than 130 years and is now as much a part of New York as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. Yet, as recognisable as the bridge is, its builder is too often forgotten.

The Chief Engineer is a brilliant examination of the life of one of America's most distinguished engineers. Roebling's experience as an engineer building bridges in the Union Army during the civil War has never before been documented, and played a central role in the bridge that links Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Brooklyn Bridge took fourteen dramatic years to complete, and the personal story that lay behind that construction is told here for the first time.

The Chief Engineer is an engaging portrait of a brilliant and driven man, and of the era in which he lived. Meticulously researched, and written with revealing archival material only recently uncovered, including Washington Roebling's own memoir that was previously thought to be lost to history, in The Chief Engineer Erica Wagner relates the fascinating history of the bridge and its maker.

All in Good Time is the remarkable story of George Daniels (1926-2011), the master craftsman, who was born into poverty but raised himself to become the greatest watchmaker of the twentieth century. Daniels stands alone in modern times as the inventor of the revolutionary co-axial escapement, the first substantial advance in portable mechanical timekeeping over the lever escapement, which has dominated ever since its invention in 1759. Daniels's love of mechanics embraced not only the minute, however - he was also a passionate collector and driver of historic motorcars. This revised and expanded edition of his autobiography also contains a new section that illustrates and discusses over thirty of the pocket and wrist-watches Daniels himself made over the years. Witness here the triumph of intelligence, ingenuity, matchless skill and singularity of purpose over the most unpromising of beginnings.

A political and social reformer, Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) was also a noted biographer in the Victorian period. Following the engineer's death in 1848, Smiles published his highly successful Life of George Stephenson in 1857 (also reissued in this series). His interest in engineering evolved and he began working on biographies of Britain's most notable engineers from the Roman to the Victorian era. Originally published in three volumes between 1861 and 1862, this work contains detailed and lively accounts of the educations, careers and pioneering work of seven of Britain's most accomplished engineers. These volumes stand as a remarkable undertaking, advancing not only the genre, but also the author's belief in what hard work could achieve. Volume 1 charts the engineering of early roads, embankments, bridges, harbours and ferries, as well as the lives of the engineers Sir Hugh Myddelton (c.1560-1631) and James Brindley (1716-72).

A political and social reformer, Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) was also a noted biographer in the Victorian period. Following the engineer's death in 1848, Smiles published his highly successful Life of George Stephenson in 1857 (also reissued in this series). His interest in engineering evolved and he began working on biographies of Britain's most notable engineers from the Roman to the Victorian era. Originally published in three volumes between 1861 and 1862, this work contains detailed and lively accounts of the educations, careers and pioneering work of seven of Britain's most accomplished engineers. These volumes stand as a remarkable undertaking, advancing not only the genre, but also the author's belief in what hard work could achieve. Volume 2 includes accounts of the lives of three important engineers of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries: John Smeaton (1724-92), John Rennie (1761-1821) and Thomas Telford (1757-1834).

A political and social reformer, Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) was also a noted biographer in the Victorian period. Following the engineer's death in 1848, Smiles published his highly successful Life of George Stephenson in 1857 (also reissued in this series). His interest in engineering evolved and he began working on biographies of Britain's most notable engineers from the Roman to the Victorian era. Originally published in three volumes between 1861 and 1862, this work contains detailed and lively accounts of the educations, careers and pioneering work of seven of Britain's most accomplished engineers. These volumes stand as a remarkable undertaking, advancing not only the genre, but also the author's belief in what hard work could achieve. Volume 3 includes a revised version of Smiles's biography of George Stephenson (1781-1848), as well as a biography of his equally famous son, Robert (1803-59).

Sir Oliver Lodge (1851 1940) was a physicist instrumental in the discovery of electromagnetic waves: the basis of today's radio and X-ray technology. He came from humble beginnings. After suffering at the hands of violent masters and schoolmates during his childhood, Lodge went on to teach physics and chemistry to young women at Bedford College in London. Later, he was appointed professor of physics at the University of Liverpool, and became known for his public lectures on a vast range of topics, from the comic faults of phonographs to the medical applications of X-rays. Whether seeing the cells of a voltaic battery in a pile of plates or appreciating the enunciation of Alexander Graham Bell, Lodge had a warm enthusiasm that shines through in this touching autobiography, first published in 1931. It remains ideal for general readers as well as students in the history of science.

Sir Charles Tilston Bright (1832 88) was a renowned telegraph engineer, best known for his role in laying the first successful transatlantic cable in 1858, for which he was knighted. Bright later worked on the telegraph networks that would span not only the British Empire but the entire globe. Written by his brother Edward Brailsford Bright (1831 1913) and son Charles (1863 1937), both telegraph engineers who worked alongside him, this two-volume biography, first published in 1898, would do much to cement Bright's reputation as an electrical engineer, providing an insider account of telegraphy's formative years. Volume 1 traces Bright's career as an early employee of the world's first public telegraphy company, the Electric Telegraph Company, and his work on land and submarine cable telegraphy, culminating in the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cables in the mid-nineteenth century.

Sir Charles Tilston Bright (1832 88) was a renowned telegraph engineer, best known for his role in laying the first successful transatlantic cable in 1858, for which he was knighted. Bright later worked on the telegraph networks that would span not only the British Empire but the entire globe. Written by his brother Edward Brailsford Bright (1831 1913) and son Charles (1863 1937), both telegraph engineers who worked alongside him, this two-volume biography, first published in 1898, would do much to cement Bright's reputation as an electrical engineer, providing an insider account of telegraphy's formative years. Volume 2 traces Bright's work on the burgeoning telegraph network, laying imperial cables to the Mediterranean, India, the West Indies, and further afield. Bright's significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering are also acknowledged in these pages, along with his personal qualities and political pursuits.

A political and social reformer, Samuel Smiles (1812 1904) was also a noted biographer in the Victorian period, paying particular attention to engineers. His first biography was of George Stephenson (1781 1848), whom he met at the opening of the North Midland Railway in 1840. After Stephenson died, Smiles wrote a memoir of him for Eliza Cook's Journal. With the permission of Stephenson's son, Robert, this evolved into the first full biography of the great engineer, published in 1857 and reissued here in its revised third edition. This detailed and lively account of Stephenson's life, which proved very popular, charts his education and youth, his crucial contribution to the development of Britain's railways, and his relationships with many notables of the Victorian world. It remains of interest to the general reader as well as historians of engineering, transport and business.

Despite never graduating from university, Sir Archibald Geikie (1835 1924) forged an exceptionally successful scientific career. In 1855 he was appointed to the Scottish branch of the Geological Survey, and by 1882 was Director General of the Survey. In keeping with his Edinburgh beginnings, most of his career was spent studying igneous rocks. He was a prolific and gifted writer, producing textbooks, popular science books and biographical and historical works, including the influential Founders of Geology (1897), as well as numerous technical publications. The only geologist to hold the post of President of The Royal Society (1908 12), he also served as President of the Geological Society of London and the British Association, and received an array of honorary degrees and medals. This autobiography, published in the year of his death, provides a readable, personal account of the life of one of the great scientific figures of the nineteenth century.

Alexander von Humboldt (1769 1859) was a naturalist, explorer and philanthropist now well known for his multidisciplinary approach to science. First published in English in 1873, this two-volume biography was translated from the German edition of 1872, edited by Karl Bruhns, which had been compiled in commemoration of the centenary of Humboldt's birth. Incorporating numerous extracts of Humboldt's own warmly written letters and anecdotes from his many acquaintances, it charts his travels in South America, Asia and Europe. Volume 1 covers his early exploratory trips and some of his lesser-known exploits, including becoming Superintendent of Mines in Northern Bavaria, his research on the sixteenth-century eruption of Nevado del Altar in Ecuador and his friendship with the young Prince William of Prussia. Of interest to students and researchers in the history of science, this is a minutely detailed and compelling insight into the life of the man behind the scientist.

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was a naturalist, explorer and philanthropist now well known for his multidisciplinary approach to science. First published in English in 1873, this two-volume biography was translated from the German edition of 1872, edited by Karl Bruhns, which had been compiled in commemoration of the centenary of Humboldt's birth. Incorporating numerous extracts of Humboldt's own warmly written letters and anecdotes from his many acquaintances, it charts his travels in South America, Asia and Europe. Volume 2 covers his later life, exploring his impecunious period in Paris at the Ecole Polytechnique, where he shared rooms with the famous French chemist Gay-Lussac, and later, his close association with King Frederick William IV of Prussia. Ideal for students and researchers in the history of science, this is a minutely detailed and compelling insight into the life of the man behind the scientist.

Originally published in 1942, this book provides a well-researched biography of the British physicist Sir Joseph John Thomson. Thomson's revolutionary discoveries relating to atomic structure are covered in detail, together with the scientific climate of the time and other non-scientific aspects of his life. The text contains numerous excerpts from Thomson's writings, including his letters, together with a variety of photographic figures. Produced shortly after his death in 1940 and written on the advice of his family, this book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Thomson's life and achievements.

Marianne North (1830 90), the Victorian amateur botanist and painter, travelled to distant countries of the world to paint exotic flora in their natural surroundings. This two-volume collection of her memoirs, edited by her sister and published in 1892, records North's remarkable travels. Laden with her palettes and easels, the independent North travelled alone and fended for herself. Her journals describe how she endured swarms of insects, scaled cliffs, trudged through wilderness and crossed swamps in order to reach the plants she wanted to paint. Volume 1 covers North's early upbringing and the origins of her enthusiasm for nature, and traces her travels through Canada and the United States, Jamaica, Brazil, Japan, Borneo, India and Sri Lanka. This fascinating autobiography reveals the stories behind North's art, which can still be appreciated today since she bequeathed her vivid paintings to Kew Gardens, where they are on display.

Marianne North (1830 90), the Victorian amateur botanist and painter, travelled to distant countries of the world to paint exotic flora in their natural surroundings. This two-volume collection of her memoirs, edited by her sister and published in 1892, records North's remarkable travels. Laden with her palettes and easels, the independent North travelled alone and fended for herself. Her journals describe how she endured swarms of insects, scaled cliffs, trudged through wilderness and crossed swamps in order to reach the plants she wanted to paint. Volume 2 covers North's travels to Australia and New Zealand, which she undertook at the suggestion of Charles Darwin. The work concludes with the last journey she made, to Chile in 1884 5, to paint the monkey-puzzle tree in its natural habitat. This autobiography reveals the stories behind North's art, which can still be appreciated today since her vivid paintings are displayed at Kew Gardens.