The visible college: The collective biography of British scientific socialists of the 1930's

by Gary Werskey

A collective biography of 5 British scientists who became committed socialists around the time of WWI, and stuck to that commitment for the rest of their lives. They were widely recognized as some of the leading intellectuals of their generation.

Genres: History

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Rodolfo]

Interesting book on the lives of four British & one Irish scientists: J. D. Bernal, JBS Haldane, Lancelot Hogben, Hyman Levy, and Joseph Needham along their evolution in political thought, and how their politics diverged and matched with the national and international situation from the 20s to the late 50s/ early 60s. It says a lot about the political climate of the UK during those years, but even if things are alluded to- information on the international situation, or why someone like Bernal or Needham would be attracted to other countries is somewhat missing, especially when discussing China.

Overall a worthwhile read as there is a lot to mull about two things: the CPGB and its relationship to specialists/scientists, but specially on the relationship between science, scientists and politics, and how it evolved from the interwar period to the post-WW2 period with science being more and more subsumed to industrial needs.