THE discovery of oxygen in the late 18th century was as remarkable for the characters involved and the political and social environment in which they worked as for the innovative science. It was the age of revolution – American in 1776, French in 1789 – and the main players in the race for oxygen, Joseph Priestley and Antoine Lavoisier, both found themselves at the heart of the unrest. The former was victimised for his dissenting views, the latter for his privilege. Lavoisier paid with his life, Priestley nearly so. Jackson’s story is well told and impeccably researched.
A World on Fire: A…
