The Pope of Physics: Enrico Fermi and the Birth of the Atomic Age
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A Bloomberg Best Book of the Year
A Finalist for Physics World’s Book of the Year
A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
Nobel Prize winner Enrico Fermi is unquestionably among the world’s greatest physicists, the most famous Italian scientist since Galileo. Called “the Pope” by his peers, he was regarded as infallible in his instincts and research. His discoveries changed our world; they led to weapons of mass destruction and, conversely, to life-saving medical interventions.
This unassuming man struggled with issues relevant today, such as the threat of nuclear annihilation and the relationship of science to politics. Fleeing fascism and anti-Semitism, Fermi became a leading figure in America’s most secret project: building the atomic bomb. The last physicist who mastered all branches of the discipline, Fermi was a rare mixture of theorist and experimentalist. His rich legacy encompasses key advances in fields as diverse as cosmic rays, nuclear technology, and early computers.
The Pope of Physics by Gino Segré and Bettina Hoerlin is “an engaging portrait of a man with boundless curiosity who delighted in his work” and an “entertaining and accessible biography of a scientist who deserves to be better understood” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
“Intimate, often charming stories of the famed physicist’s personal life . . . a book that’s both intelligent and extremely engaging.” —The Washington Post
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Gino Segrè is a professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a visiting professor at M.I.T. and Oxford University, chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania, and director of theoretical physics at the National Science Foundation. He is the author of several books of scientific history, Ordinary Geniuses, Faust in Copenhagen, and A Matter of Degrees.
Bettina Hoerlin taught healthcare disparities at the University of Pennsylvania for sixteen years. She also has been a visiting lecturer at Haverford College and Oxford University. Her career in health policy and administration included serving as Health Commissioner of Philadelphia. The author of Steps of Courage: My Parents’ Journey from Nazi Germany to America, she grew up in the Atomic City of Los Alamos.
