The two cultures
Jan. 17th, 2022 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qatsiBook Review: The Effect of Science on the Second World War, by Guy Hartcup
One of a pair of books that were loaned to me at Christmas, this came with a lukewarm endorsement, and I can see why. The author had quite an academic career, and although this is written for a general audience, it has a very dry voice, with little to bring it to life. This is a shame, as the range of topics covered is interesting: as well as the more predictable topics of radar, cryptanalysis, rockets and atomic weapons, there are chapters on scientific endeavours perhaps less associated with the war: radio communications, advances in medical science (both physical and mental), jet engines, and operational research, and particularly grimly, on chemical and biological weapons. The author tries to cover all the combatants, although information is not always available. There's an implication that the culture of Britain and the US may have led to the military being more open to scientific innovations, and science listening more to military requirements, although projects were subject to the whims and short-sightedness of leaders on all sides. In totalitarian regimes (both Nazi Germany and the USSR), fear of failure may have stifled innovation as much as a lack of resources or patronage. Whilst Britain and the US generally shared scientific and technological findings, cooperation with the USSR on such matters was more limited. It's also interesting to read of the lead times of many of the projects, with many schemes coming to fruition rather longer after they would have been most useful.
One of a pair of books that were loaned to me at Christmas, this came with a lukewarm endorsement, and I can see why. The author had quite an academic career, and although this is written for a general audience, it has a very dry voice, with little to bring it to life. This is a shame, as the range of topics covered is interesting: as well as the more predictable topics of radar, cryptanalysis, rockets and atomic weapons, there are chapters on scientific endeavours perhaps less associated with the war: radio communications, advances in medical science (both physical and mental), jet engines, and operational research, and particularly grimly, on chemical and biological weapons. The author tries to cover all the combatants, although information is not always available. There's an implication that the culture of Britain and the US may have led to the military being more open to scientific innovations, and science listening more to military requirements, although projects were subject to the whims and short-sightedness of leaders on all sides. In totalitarian regimes (both Nazi Germany and the USSR), fear of failure may have stifled innovation as much as a lack of resources or patronage. Whilst Britain and the US generally shared scientific and technological findings, cooperation with the USSR on such matters was more limited. It's also interesting to read of the lead times of many of the projects, with many schemes coming to fruition rather longer after they would have been most useful.