Sir Ambrose Fleming's Reminiscences

Abstract

WE think that everyone will derive pleasure from reading the reminiscences of Sir Ambrose Fleming. Beginning with an adventure in the nursery when he was less than three years old, it is interesting to read the events which left a strong impression on the mind of the budding man of science. When he was nine he saw Donati's comet (1858) with its tail stretching a quarter of the way across the sky. Although secretly alarmed he was greatly interested, and if a suitable opportunity had occurred he might have become an astronomer. A few years later we find him sailing a large model yacht, which he had carved out and rigged himself, on the Hampstead ponds, and he was taken to see ‘Pepper's ghost’ at the Regent Street Polytechnic. ‘Dissolving view's were shown with a pair of oxyhydrogen light magic lanterns and he remembers the thrilling pictures of the Indian Sepoy mutiny. Lectures on chemistry were also given, and one of his favourite books was “The Play-Book of Science” by Prof. Pepper. At sixteen years of age he entered University College, and on completing his course was placed in the first division in the B.Sc. examination. His father's friend, afterwards Sir Edward Frankland, helped him to get a science mastership at Rossall School, where he proved himself a most capable teacher. But he hankered after research work, and so we find him a year and a half later studying under Dr. Frankland in the Science Schools at South Kensington. One of his fellow students was Sir Oliver Lodge, who in a ‘foreword’ to this book points out the many similarities in their two careers. Memories of a Scientific Life. By Sir Ambrose Fleming Pp. xii + 244 + 3 plates. (London and Edinburgh: Marshall, Morgan and Scott, Ltd., 1934.) 5s.