Memoirs and Letters of Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, Inventor

By Sidney Gilchrist Thomas and R.W. Burnie

Book Overview

First published in 1891, this memoir describes the life of the metallurgist and inventor Sidney Gilchrist Thomas (1850-1885), best-known for discovering the method of eliminating phosphorus from pig iron which revolutionised the commercial production of steel. Professing a desire to give a 'true' account of a life in contrast to the somewhat hagiographic approach of some contemporary writers, Thomas' biographer, R. W. Burnie, sets out to construct 'a brief history of a very striking and individual character'. The details of Thomas' short life are narrated in 22 chapters, beginning with his early education, his work as a schoolmaster and police clerk whilst studying law and chemistry at night, his career, and his work-related travels, which took him everywhere from central Europe to New Zealand. The memoir also includes a postscript which reveals that Thomas left his considerable fortune to workers in steel production.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1108026915
• ISBN13: 9781108026918
• Release Date: May 2011
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 334 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"