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On Friday 25 November 2011 Prof. Frank James discusses the publishing history of Michael Faraday's 'The Chemical History of a Candle', possibly the most popular science book ever published.

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Prof. Frank James, Royal Institution, London

Michael Faraday’s The Chemical History of a Candle is arguably the most popular science book ever published. Based on Faraday’s final series of Christmas Lectures at the Royal Institution, it has never been out of print in English since it was first published in 1861. Translated into more than a dozen languages, this little book, just under 36,000 words, has and continues to exert an enormous influence throughout the world. This talk will discuss how the live lectures were turned into print, and the subsequent history of the text and its impact.

**Note: this lecture is now FULLY BOOKED. To add your name to a waiting list please contact Felicity Henderson (02074512597). The lecture will be recorded and made available via the website shortly after the event.