The Life of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs, 2 Volume Set

by Silvanus Phillips Thompson

The mathematician and physicist William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (1824 1907) was one of Britain's most influential scientists, famous for his work on the first and second laws of thermodynamics and for devising the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature. Silvanus P. Thompson (1851 1916) began this biography with the co-operation of Kelvin in 1906, but the project was interrupted by Kelvin's death the following year. Thompson, himself a respected physics lecturer and scientific writer, decided that a more comprehensive biography would be needed and spent several years reading through Kelvin's papers in order to complete these two volumes, published in 1910. Volume 1 covers Kelvin's early career, his research in thermodynamics, and his applied work on telegraphs and cables. Volume 2 deals with Kelvin's later career, aspects of his personal life including his enthusiasm for sailing and music, and the relationship between his scientific discoveries and his religious beliefs."

1368 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2010

About the author

Silvanus Phillips Thompson FRS was a professor of physics at the City and Guilds Technical College in Finsbury, England. He was known for his work as an electrical engineer and as an author.

Thompson is one of the individuals represented on the Engineers Walk in Bristol, England.

Thompson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1891 and was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1894.