Skip to main content
Thumbnail for The last man who knew everything : the life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age

The last man who knew everything : the life and times of Enrico Fermi, father of the nuclear age

Schwartz, David N., 1956-2017
Books, Manuscripts
In 1942, a team at the University of Chicago achieved what no one had before: a nuclear chain reaction. At the forefront of this breakthrough stood Enrico Fermi. Straddling the ages of classical physics and quantum mechanics, equally at ease with theory and experiment, Fermi truly was the last man who knew everything - at least about physics. But he was also a complex figure who was a part of both the Italian Fascist Party and the Manhattan Project, and a less-than-ideal father and husband who nevertheless remained one of history's greatest mentors. Based on new archival material and exclusive interviews, this work lays bare the enigmatic life of a colossus of 20th century physics.
Imprint:
New York : Basic Books, 2017.
Collation:
448 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm
ISBN:
9780465072927 (hbk)
Dewey class:
530.092
LC class:
QC16.F46
Language:
English
BRN:
2170658
View my active saved list
0 items in my active saved list