The Two Cultures by C P Snow
The notion that our society is characterised by a split between two cultures - the arts or humanities, and the sciences - has a long history. This 50th anniversary printing features an introduction by Stefan Collini, charting the history, context, implications and afterlife of a debate that still rages today.'Obvious authority and moral intelligence.' The New Yorker
'Effective because of its obvious generosity of mind and basic sanity.' The Sunday Times
'Professor Collini's brilliant and well documented introduction …' D. Anjaneyulu, The Hindu
Snow was born on October 15, 1905, in Leicester, England. He attended Alderman Newton's School for Boys from the age of 11 and excelled in most subjects, earning a reputation for having an incredible recall. He received an external scientific fellowship from London University in 1923, while working as a laboratory assistant at Newton's to get the requisite practical experience, as Leicester University, as it was to become, did not have chemistry or physics departments at the time. After earning a first-class degree and a Master of Science, he was awarded a studentship in 1928, which he used to conduct research at Cambridge's famous Cavendish Laboratory. Snow went on to become a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1930, where he also tutored, but his position became increasingly nominal as he pursued other interests.
He began publishing scientific papers in 'Nature' in 1934, then 'The Spectator' in 1935, before becoming editor of the journal 'Discovery' in 1937. During this time, he was also writing fiction, and his novel 'Strangers and Brothers' was published in 1940. This was the first of eleven novels in the series, and it was later renamed 'George Passant' when the series' name was changed to 'Strangers and Brothers.' 'Discovery' was a wartime casualty, closing in 1940.
Snow, on the other hand, was already affiliated with the Royal Society, which had organized a committee to exploit British scientific talent under the Ministry of Labour's auspices. From 1940 to 1944, he was the technical director of the Ministry. He returned to writing after the war as a civil service commissioner in charge of recruiting scientists for the government. He also continued the 'Strangers and Brothers' novels. 'The Light and the Dark' was released in 1947, followed by 'Time of Hope' in 1949, and 'The Masters,' possibly the most famous and popular of all, in 1951.
He intended to complete the cycle in five years, but it wasn't until 1970 that the final novel, 'Last Things,' was released. Snow married Pamela Hansford Johnson, a novelist, in 1950, and the couple had one son, Philip, in 1952. In 1957, he was knighted, and in 1964, he was made a life peer, with the title Baron Snow of the City Leicester. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the new Minister of Technology in Harold Wilson's first government.
He became a vocal backbencher in the House of Lords after the department was abolished in 1966. Snow continued to write fiction and non-fiction after concluding the 'Strangers and Brothers' series. 'A Coat of Vanish,' published in 1978, was his final work of fiction. A short biography of Trollope was released in 1974, and another, 'The Physicists: a Generation That Changed the World,' was published posthumously in 1981.
He was also swamped with requests for lectures and honorary doctorate offers. In 1961, he was appointed as Rector of St. Andrews University, as well as writing prominent weekly reviews for the 'Financial Times' for ten years.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521457309 |
| ISBN 10 | 0521457300 |
| Title | The Two Cultures |
| Author | C P Snow |
| Series | Canto |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 1993-07-30 |
| Number of pages | 181 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |