Marie Curie was not only the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, she won two–in 1903 and 1911. Though her work was neglected by the scientific establishment in Paris, she made pioneering discoveries in the field of radioactivity and discovered two elements, radium and polonium. This illustrated biography reveals a more dynamic and politically engaged Curie than the isolated genius who persists in popular myth.
Curie: A Life was voted Outstanding Academic Title by Choice, the journal of academic libraries. It has been translated into Japanese, Korean and Spanish. Now in a freshly designed second edition and with a new introduction, Curie is as relevant as ever to those fascinated by the maelstrom of intellect, will and circumstance that forged the life of this extraordinary person.
‘Such a remarkable woman deserves an accurate portrayal of her extraordinary life as a scientist, working in a world still highly inimical to women in the professional sphere. This book shows how she battled against the odds, against grief and hostility, to achieve so much.’
–Prof Dame Athene Donald
‘In her wonderfully evocative biography, Sarah Dry searches out the private woman concealed behind the public persona of the world’s most famous female scientist. This deceptively slim volume not only surveys Marie Curie’s scientific achievements in a lively, accessible style, but also examines diaries and letters to reveal her inner life and strong emotional ties to family, friends and country. Like many human beings, this international celebrity enjoyed episodes of intense joy as well as enduring dark periods of pain and isolation. Dry’s informative biography is a compelling read.’
–Dr Patricia Fara
‘a brisk but inviting text that invites the reader into the cultural context in which the Curies lived. . . scholarly scrupulousness combined with a graceful style.’
–American Library Association
Sarah Dry 