Ioan James introduces and profiles sixty mathematicians from an era which saw mathematics freed from its classical origins to develop into its modern form. The characters, all born between 1700 and 1910, come from a wide range of countries, and all made an important contribution to mathematics, through their ideas, their teaching, their influence, and so on. The 2003 book is organised chronologically into ten chapters, each of which contains potted life stories of six mathematicians. The players James has chosen to portray are sufficiently representative that their stories, when read in sequence, convey in human terms something of the way in which mathematics developed.

Review:

'... can be recommended to all scientists and teachers of mathematics, the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as to anyone interested in history of science.' European Mathematical Society

'Enjoyable, accessible, informative across three centuries, and supplying an excellent concise bibliography of both primary and secondary sources, James's book is a good reference work for those in any field or profession.' Endeavour

'... recommended to all scientists and teachers of mathematics, the history and philosophy of mathematics, as well as to anyone interested in history of science.' EMS Newsletter

'... a nice book to dip into, and a good source of anecdotes.' Metascience

'The book stands out from other biographical collections by its engaging prose and its facility for putting a human face to mathematics. For anyone who would like to learn about the Fourier behind the Fourier series, or the Riemann of the Riemann hypothesis, this is a useful collection to have on the shelf ready to dip into.' British Society for the History of Science

'... will serve as an inspired contribution to the history of mathematics for a great many decades.' Kybernetes

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