Popular Science Review - Northern Lights

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Review - Northern Lights - Lucy Jago

At first sight this is an unpromising subject. Although the Northern Lights themselves are a fascinating phenomenon, the subject of the book, Kristian Birkeland was an obscure Norwegian scientist - no Einstein or Feynman, this. However, Birkeland turns out to be a fascinating character, fully deserving the subtitle of the book, How one man sacrificed love, happiness and sanity to unlock the secrets of space.

In her impressive non-fiction debut, Lucy Jago tells the story of this visionary, if sometimes virtual mad scientist. One of his more bizarre suggestions was to produce a suit that gave off radioactivity to help people who don't get enough exposure to the sun to keep healthy - hmm. However, when he was on his true subject, Birkeland was world class.

Discovered dead in a Japanese hotel room in 1917 in suspicious circumstances, Birkeland lived a life that was filled with tragedy, mystery and the occasional farce. His life forms the core of a hitherto untold drama, set against some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth, from the ice mountains of northern Norway to the deserts of Africa, at a time of political upheaval and war.

Misunderstood in his lifetime, some of Birkeland's ideas about our universe are now considered brilliantly prophetic. the story of how he arrived at them is as stirring as any in science. Equally fascinating are his commercial ventures, helping to found, then managing disastrously his participation in one of Norway's biggest companies.

Also in hardback (US version is hardback): Also in audio:

Reviewed by Brian Clegg

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