ABOUT THIS BOOK

A striking biography of Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person ever to win Nobel Prizes in two disciplines.

Marie Curie is most famous for her pioneering work in the field of radioactivity and for discovering two new elements, polonium and radium. Curie not only broke scientific barriers but defied the gender expectations of her time amidst a male-dominated scientific community.

This revised edition of Curie, with a new introduction from the author, debunks myths about Curie, rejecting the notion of her as cold and reserved and recasting her as the dynamic and lively woman she truly was. Sarah Dry illuminates Curie’s personal and professional struggles: the demands of motherhood, the public scrutiny she faced, the grief she suffered after the loss of her husband, and her exposure to radiation. Ultimately, Curie emerges as an astonishingly resilient figure whose contributions to science and courage during adversity make her an enduring example, and a woman whose powerful legacy continues to inspire today.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Sarah Dry is a writer and historian of science. She is the author of The Newton Papers and Waters of the World. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in Oxford, UK, with her family, and is a trustee of the Science Museum Group and the Oxford Trust.

REVIEWS

Outstanding Academic Title

— CHOICE

"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

"Most people have heard about Marie Curie and have some vague idea about her life. This book fleshes out and corrects such vague ideas. It is written in an easily accessible style, touching on the Physics without turning it into a Physics book, but also providing substantial background to her life and achievements. 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 chatty, 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 periods of intense joy as well as enduring dark periods of pain and isolation. Dry’s informative biography is a compelling read."

— Dr Patricia Fara

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Introduction

Early years

Paris

Discovering Radium

Theorizing radioactivity

Death and laboratory life

Scandal

War

Final Years

Notes

Index