CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

PART ONE Nuclear Physicists

1. Igor Tamm: Exemplary Consistency

2. Yakov Zeldovich: Soviet Prometheus

3. Andrei Sakharov: Soviet Conscience

PART TWO Low-Temperature Physicists

4. Petr Kapitza: Respected Centaur

5. Lev Landau: Genius and Evgenii Lifshits: More Than Landau’s Pen

6. Vitaly Ginzburg: Amateur Astronomer

7. Alexei Abrikosov: “Unmanageable”

PART THREE Chemists and Chemical Physicists

8. Nikolai Semenov: Mr. Chain Reaction

9. Yulii Khariton: Director of “Los Arzamas”

10. Boris Belousov and Anatol Zhabotinsky: “Impossible” Reaction

11. Aleksandr Kitaigorodskii: Soviet Maverick

12. Aleksandr Nesmeyanov: Brilliant Administrator and Soviet Courtier

Epilogue

Some Notable Dates, 1914–1991

Acknowledgments

Biographical Names

Select Bibliography

Notes

Index