Review : Gunning for rays

Not to be tackled lightly, Flash of the Cathode Rays by Per Dahl is a
painstaking history of the remarkable flourishing of physical science in the
years bridging the 19th and 20th centuries, culminating in the discovery of the
electron. You need some knowledge of physics to follow the excitement. Published
by Institute of Physics, 40/$49.50, ISBN 0750304537.