Jean Eisenstaedt takes us on a bold and exciting journey into the world of general relativity, bringing insight and wit to a difficult subject. His explanation of the geometrical nature of the theory is masterful. Eisenstaedt is one of the few historians who has tackled in a clear way how the physics community first accepted relativity, then ignored it, and now uses it as an everyday tool in their work. -- Jeffrey Crelinsten, The Impact Group, Toronto, and author of "Einstein's Jury: The Race to Test Relativity" Eisenstaedt's very readable book offers an excellent introduction to the fascinating history of general relativity, written by one of the leading experts in the field. Taking a broad perspective, it shows how Einstein's theory emerges from a long historical tradition, and how it continues to pose challenging problems to this day. -- Jurgen Renn, Director of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin Jean Eisenstaedt's book is highly significant for the history of science because it is really the first serious look at the evolution of concepts in the history of general relativity after Einstein's death. It was the development of the concept of the black hole between the late 1950s and late 1960s that constituted the real birth of general relativity, and this story and the lead up to it is the story that Eisenstaedt tells here with unmatched authority. This book is, then, a founding text that sets out the historical context of this fascinating issue. The story of the discovery of black holes is a remarkable intellectual parable in itself, and Eisenstaedt tells it brilliantly. -- Daniel J. Kennefick, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and coeditor of the "Einstein Papers Project" Beginning with Einstein's early work on a general theory of relativity at the start of the twentieth century, Eisenstaedt's book guides us through the attempts of several generations of relativists to resolve and detect this fascinating theory's strange physical consequences. From Schwarzschild's 'magical sphere' to Wheeler's 'black hole,' fifty years of scientific indifference and even opposition to this puzzling branch of physics elapsed before relativistic cosmology was reborn at last, and the theory of general relativity recaptured the public spotlight. -- Diana Kormos Buchwald, Einstein Papers Project, Caltech
Foreword vii INTRODUCTION: A Difficult Theory 1 CHAPTER ONE: The Speed of Light and Classical Physics 4 CHAPTER TWO: Light and the Structure of Space-Time 24 CHAPTER THREE: Toward a New Theory of Gravitation 58 CHAPTER FOUR: Einstein's Principles 76 CHAPTER FIVE: The Birth of General Relativity 103 CHAPTER SIX: General Relativity: A Physical Geometry 138 CHAPTER SEVEN: Relativity Verified: Mercury's Anomaly 149 CHAPTER EIGHT: Relativity Verified: The Deflection of Light Rays 167 CHAPTER NINE: Relativity Verified: The Line Shift 196 CHAPTER TEN: The Crossing of the Desert 213 CHAPTER ELEVEN: An Unpopular Theory 244 CHAPTER TWELVE: The Rejection of Black Holes 255 CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Paths in Schwarzschild's Space-Time 284 CHAPTER FOURTEEN: No Ordinary Stars 310 CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Gravitation, Astrophysics, and Cosmology 325 AFTERWORD: The Paths of General Relativity 346 Bibliography 349 Name Index 361
Jean Eisenstaedt is Senior Researcher at France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) attached to the Paris Observatory. The widely praised French edition of The Curious History of Relativity was published as Einstein et la relativit gnrale. Eisenstaedt's most recent book is Avant Einstein. Relativit, lumire, gravitation (Before Einstein: Relativity, Light, Gravitation).
"This book is a treasure from a world expert. It offers a deeper understanding of Einstein's theory and, above all, it is an inspiring account of his unique scientific style."--Simon Mitton, Times Higher Education Supplement "In this English translation, Eisenstaedt ... reviews how Einstein developed the theory that would supplant Newton's principles of gravity. The author reviews the period from the 1920s to the 1950s, during which Einstein confronted his critics. Finally, Eisenstaedt ponders what will become of general relativity as today's physicists search for a unifying theory of the quantum and gravitational domains."--Science News Praise for the original, French edition: "With its limpid prose, this book reads like a novel... It is a treasure for all those who seek to understand Einstein's theory."--Ciel & Espace "What makes his book stand out among the legion of other titles on Einstein and relativity is the historical context into which Eisenstaedt places his scientific discussion."--Library Journal Praise for the original, French edition: "Eisenstaedt's book ... takes us into the universe of an exceptional theory, and offers an irresistible chance to delve into the mind of one of the most brilliant scientists of the twentieth century."--Bulletin critique du livre en francais Praise for the original, French edition: "Virtually free of mathematical formulas, this book offers accessible reading ... to all amateur scientists who are by definition curious spirits... A big 'thank you' to Jean Eisenstaedt for this excellent work!"--L'Astronomie Praise for the original, French edition: "An accessible and precisely written book for all non-mathematicians who wish to comprehend the complexities raised by the theory of relativity."--Alderan "A faithful history of Einstein's astonishing theory of gravitation based on curvature of the four-dimensional space-time in which we live, created when no observed datum pointed in that direction... For professionals in other fields, energetic readers, and college-level students."--Choice "This book gives a lucid account of the struggle to find the right concepts to understand how the speed of light can be independent of the motion of its source."--D. Lynden-Bell, The Observatory Magazine
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