Sir Edward Appleton G.B.E., K.C.B., F.R.S.

Sir Edward Appleton G.B.E., K.C.B., F.R.S is a 12-chapter text about the life of Sir Edward Appleton. Born on September 6, 1892, Sir Edward Appleton was a Principal of the Edinburgh University, a Bradford man himself, Nobel prize-winner, and a distinguished scientist who has first mapped the ionosphere, the invisible outer shell of the earth’s atmosphere whose existence makes long-range radio reception possible. The opening chapters of the book cover the early life of Appleton, from his struggles in college to his post-war Cambridge experience. The following chapter discusses how Sir Edward Appleton discovered the ionosphere, naming its upper layer – the Appleton Layer. The discussion then shifts to Appleton’s administrative duties, naming him the youngest professor in England. This book also relates Appleton’s part of the Polar Year investigation in Norway, his investigation on the possible link between geomagnetic and ionospheric phenomena, and his secretaryship duties in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Other chapters focus on the post-war contributions of Sir Edward Appleton, devoting his research to post-war problems and restructuring. These chapters also look into Appleton’s appointment as Edinburgh’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor and eventually as an elder statesman. The concluding chapter covers his retirement from administrative duties in Edinburgh.