Scientist, Soldier, Statesman, Spy: Count Rumford: The Extraordinary Life of a Scientific Genius

I find it amazing that Benjamin Thompson came from the same bloodline as John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed). An extremely interesting tale of a brilliant, but totally disagreeable man who always seemed to land on his feet. It's a shame that the general populace remains unaware of Count Rumford's sizable contributions to improve the lives of many.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a fairly quick read for being packed with so much interesting stuff. Benjamin Thompson, later taking the name Count Rumford, lived the most fascinating life of anyone I've ever known or read about. Brief summary: He was born into a poor farming family in America in 1753. At 19 years old, he marries an incredibly rich 30-something year old woman setting himself up financially for the rest of his life. When the Revolutionary War breaks out he stays loyal to England and begins working as a spy. He develops and uses invisible ink to send secret messages and begins having an affair with the wife of the owner of a revolutionary newspaper. When the war turns sour, he flees to England where he is given a heroes welcome. He lands a cushy government job and uses his free time to work on his true passion: scientific experiments, mainly involving heat. He is the inventor of central heating, the drip coffee pot, greatly improved fireplaces and lanterns, and many others. He also set up the worlds first homeless shelters, soup kitchens and was knighted for services in both England and Bavaria. While in Bavaria he was also briefly made general commander of the entire army and during that time, used his skills of persuasion to avoid being drawn into a war between Austria and France, becoming an overnight hero. Sadly, most people have never heard of him.