John Von Neumann

Born in Budapest in 1903, John von Neumann grew up in one of the most extraordinary of scientific communities. From his arrival in America in the mid-1930s - with bases in Boston, Princeton, Washington and Los Alamos - von Neumann pioneered and participated in the major scientific and political dramas of the next three decades, leaving his mark on more fields of scientific endeavour than any other scientist. Von Neumann's work in areas such as game theory, mathematics, physics, and meteorology formed the building blocks for the most important discoveries of the century: the modern computer, game theory, the atom bomb, radar and artificial intelligence, to name just a few. From the laboratory to the highest levels of government, this biography offers a behind-the-scenes look at the politics and personalities involved in these world-changing discoveries. Written more than 30 years after von Neumann's untimely death at age 56, it was prepared with the co-operation of his family and includes information gained from interviewing sources across Europe and America.
Norman Macrae seeks to offer a humanizing portrait of a man whose legacy still influences and shapes modern science and knowledge.