num_pages: 352
description: The incredible ""glowing"" history of the ""Devil's element ""phosphorusDiscovered by alchemists, prescribed by apothecaries, exploited by ninth-century industrialists, and abused by twentieth-century combatants, the chemical element phosphorus has fascinated us for more than three centuries. It may even be the cause of will-o'-the wisps and spontaneous human combustion! Now John Emsley has written an enthralling account of this eerily luminescent element. Shining with wonderful nuggets-from murders-by-phosphorus to a match factory strike; from the firebombing of Hamburg to the deadly compounds derived from phosphorus today-The 13th Element weaves together a rich tableau of brilliant and oddball characters, social upheavals, and bizarre events.
language: English
title: The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus
titlecomplete: The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus
genres: History Of Science, Science, School, Nature, Chemistry, Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Microhistory, Popular Science
ratings_count: 515
publisher: Trade Paper Press