Publishing Faraday’s Candle

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Presenter: Frank James

Published: December 2012

Age: 14-19 and upwards

Views: 1542 views

Tags: Faraday

Type: Lectures

Source/institution: Royal Society


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Michael Faraday’s The Chemical History of a Candle is arguably the most popular science book ever published. Based on Faraday’s final series of Christmas Lectures at the Royal Institution, it has never been out of print in English since it was first published in 1861. Translated into more than a dozen languages, this little book, just under 36,000 words, has and continues to exert an enormous influence throughout the world. This talk will discuss how the live lectures were turned into print, and the subsequent history of the text and its impact.  Prof. Frank James, Royal Institution, London