The Scientific Letters and Papers of James Clerk Maxwell: Volume 2, 1862-1873

This second volume of James Clerk Maxwell's correspondence and manuscript papers begins in mid-1862 with his first reference reports for the Royal Society, and concludes in December 1873 shortly before the formal inauguration of the Cavendish Laboratory. The documents describe his involvement with the wider scientific community in Victorian Britain, and the period of his scientific maturity. In the years 1862-73 Maxwell wrote the classic works on statistical molecular theory and field physics, including the Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, which established his unique status in the history of science. His letters and drafts of this period provide unique insight into this work, which remains fundamental to modern physics. Few of the manuscripts reproduced here have received prior publication in other than truncated form, and the volume includes Maxwell's correspondence with G.G. Stokes, Lord Kelvin and P.G. Tait. The edition is annotated with a full historical commentary and will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of science or physics.