Why read Kapitza in Cambridge and Moscow?

Book cover of Kapitza in Cambridge and Moscow: Life and Letters of a Russian Physicist

Book description

The unusual career of the famous Soviet physicist Peter Kapitza was divided between Cambridge and Moscow. In Cambridge he was a protege of Rutherford and while studying there he opened up a new area of research in magnetism and low temperature physics. However, in 1934, during a summer visit to…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Kapitza in Cambridge and Moscow as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Istvan Hargittai

Author

I find Petr Kapitza a hero, and this book provides both his personal and societal background and his science and actions. I am fascinated by a scientist who, amid conditions of the Soviet system, remained indifferent to titles and positions but was not afraid to use his international recognition to protest the actions of one of the world’s worst dictators.

I also found the book's message about Kapitza to be most convincing in the contribution of one of the editors, David Shoenberg, who had a close relationship with Kapitza and was a significant scientist and discoverer.

From Istvan's list on scientific discovery unfavorable Soviet realities.