Synopses & Reviews
The first work in English to examine the twentieth-century development of all the sciences at a major university, this book traces Oxford's period of rapid growth between the two World Wars from a school devoted explicitly to the liberal arts to an important institution for research and experimentation. Jack Morrell shows how this transformation occurred in spite of considerable opposition, detailing the various and ever-present financial, social, and political obstacles typical of the academy. This well-told tale will fascinate anyone interested in the institutionalization of science.
Review
"...the interestingly written text makes persons and events come alive...Dip into this intriguing history for a fact or two, and you may well find yourself scan-reading for an hour or more."--Taxon 47
"This is an invaluable book for the institutional history of science in twentieth-century Britain."--ISIS
"...it is a tale told well, full of telling examples....It is a stunningly good example of university history at its best."--Albion
About the Author
Jack Morrell was Reader in History of Science in the University of Bradford until 1991 and a Visiting (1985) and Supernumerary Fellow (1987) of Brasenose College, Oxford.