The Origins of Field Theory

Originally published by Random House in 1966, this classic work is an indepth analysis of the pioneering work of Michael Faraday. Since Faraday was the major architect of field theory, the book focuses on the evolution of his ideas and their impact on the scientific community of the nineteenth century. The concluding chapter discusses the more mathematical contribution of James Maxwell, who was instrumental in turning Faraday's heresies into the orthodoxy of classical field theory. 

Leslie Pearce Williams (1927 – 2015) was a chaired professor at Cornell University's Department of History who also chaired the department for many years. He was also the founder, in the mid-1980s, of Cornell's program in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, which later became part of the Department of Science and Technology Studies.