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Front Matter
Benjamin Franklin and his son experimenting with lightning.
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Preface
The
biographies of great Scientists are of necessity filled with a multitude of detail, much of which is
of little or no interest to the general reader; hence the author of the present volume has
endeavoured to give a description of the lives of some of the most outstanding men of Science in an
easy and readable form. It is not claimed that this is the first work of such a character, but, so
far as the author knows, it is the first to deal with the subject in a comprehensive manner, linking
the Ancient to the Modern. In order to make the story as readable as possible, it has been deemed
better to avoid a constant reference to the dates at which the different events have occurred in the
men's lives, and to state rather the ages of the men at such times. The date of birth and death of
each Hero is, however, mentioned in the text, and also beneath the respective chapter headings.
The author fully realises the serious disadvantage in acquiring incorrect information, especially in
one's youth, so he has taken all possible care to state only facts that are reliable, and, whenever
possible, to dispel popular errors that have arisen. It has not been considered sufficient merely to
retell a tale in popular language, but it has been a matter of conscience to authenticate all the
information so far as that is possible. This necessarily has entailed research work, which might
seem to some writers unnecessary labour for a popular volume such as the present one, but in the
past the author has felt amply rewarded by his works of a similar nature being recognised as
conscientious productions. There have been criticisms such as "It is easy to see that the author has
not taken for granted accounts, usually abounding in errors, which less conscientious writers have
given." In the present volume there has been no sacrifice of accuracy for the sake of sensation or
effect.
The author is once more indebted to his friends Professor James Muir, d.sc.,
m.a.,
Royal Technical College, Glasgow, and H. Stanley Allen, m.a., d.sc.,
King's College, London, for very kindly reading through the whole of the proof-sheets; also to
Professor Sampson, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, for reading the chapters relating to William and
Caroline Herschel; and to Emeritus Professor John G. McKendrick for his kindly interest in the
proof-sheets.
The author is indebted also to the following friends for assistance with the illustrations:
Professor James Muir, Glasgow; the Wolf Safety Lamp Co., Ltd., Leeds; the Electric Co., Ltd.,
London; the Westinghouse Co., Ltd.; Siemens Bros., Ltd.; the Poulsen Co., Ltd.
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