''Einstein in Oxford'' (2024), by Andrew Robinson, is a biographical account of

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...

's association with the city of

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, especially the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, particularly in the areas of science, music, and politics. It was published by

Bodleian Library Publishing The Bodleian Libraries are a collection of 28 libraries that serve the University of Oxford in England, including the Bodleian Library itself, as well as many other (but not all) central and faculty libraries. As of the 2021–2022 report year, ...

Content

The book includes a foreword by Silke Ackermann (Director of the

History of Science Museum The History of Science Museum in Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street, Oxford, England, holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from Science in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages to the 19th century. The museum building is also known as the ...

in Oxford), a preface, five chapters, a postscript, sources of quotations, further reading, acknowledgements, picture credits, and an index. Einstein's visits to the

at the invitation of the Oxford physicist

Frederick Lindemann Frederick Alexander Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell, ( ; 5 April 18863 July 1957) was a British physicist who was prime scientific adviser to Winston Churchill in World War II. He was involved in the development of radar and infra-red guidan ...

(1st Viscount Cherwell), staying in Christ Church, and his 1931 lectures at

Rhodes House Rhodes House is a building part of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on South Parks Road in central Oxford, and was built in memory of Cecil Rhodes, an alumnus of the university and a major benefactor. It is Listed building#En ...

in Oxford, including his preserved blackboard, are covered. The book has been endorsed by Oxford-based academics

Stephen Blundell Stephen John Blundell (born 1967) is a professor of physics at the University of Oxford. He was previously head of Condensed Matter Physics at Oxford, and is also a professorial fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford. His research is concerned with us ...

, Sir David Clary, Roger Davies, and William Whyte. Einstein blackboard

Reception

''Einstein in Oxford'' has been reviewed in a number of publications and online, including ''

Australian Book Review ''Australian Book Review'' is an Australian arts and literary review. Created in 1961, ''ABR'' is an independent non-profit organisation that publishes articles, reviews, commentaries, essays, and new writing. The aims of the magazine are " ...

'', ''Oxford Alumni'', the ''

Oxford Mail ''Oxford Mail'' is a daily tabloid newspaper in Oxford, England, owned by Newsquest. It is published six days a week. It is a sister paper to the weekly tabloid ''The Oxford Times''. History The ''Oxford Mail'' was founded in 1928 by MP Fra ...

'', ''

Physics World ''Physics World'' is the membership magazine of the Institute of Physics, one of the largest physical societies in the world. It is an international monthly magazine covering all areas of physics, pure and applied, and is aimed at physicists in ...

'', and ''

The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...

''. An associated talk by the author Andrew Robinson took place at the

Weston Library The Weston Library is part of the Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, reopened within the former New Bodleian Library building on the corner of Broad Street and Parks Road in central Oxford, England. Hi ...

, Oxford, in September 2024. The book was also presented at the 2025

Oxford Literary Festival The Oxford Literary Festival (OLF) is an annual literary festival held in Oxford, England. The festival events take place in venues across central Oxford, such as Blackwell's bookshop, the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Weston L ...

References

2024 non-fiction books 21st-century history books Books about Albert Einstein Books about Oxford Bodleian Library Publications associated with the University of Oxford {{science-bio-book-stub

Content

Reception

See also

References