The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler by Thomas HagerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
One of the most engaging books I've read in the history of science genre, for sure. The Alchemy of Air is a book that one cannot put down. Once I picked it up, I consumed it with a fervour. I felt sad, happy, interested, excited and, eventually, just intrigued by the decades spanning tale that Hager lays out.
Hager's style is distinctive in its subtlety, he lets the central figures of the book shine through direct and powerful writing that focuses on facts. I was drawn in by the events which were laid out lucidly and went forward logically. The odd repetition of some phrases is noticeable and jarring, but there are no other faults to be found here.
The contents are thoroughly interesting, focusing on Haber and Bosch and using them as a lens to look at the science. At its core, it thus becomes a book about real people. These are flawed, paradoxical and intense people. Recognisable as individuals by their, often difficult to understand, actions and obsessions.
I could not put it down, which is a testament to how amazing it is.
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