Einstein at the Spa - by Daniel Mellem (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Hotel Resting Stork in the spa town of Bad Nauheim has long been a refuge from the turmoil of the day. But its atmosphere of pampered calm is threatened when the German Natural Scientists Conference convenes there in 1920 with over two thousand participants. As the new theory of relativity divides the scientific community, the two fiercest rivals, Albert Einstein and Philipp Lenard--both Nobel Prize winners--check in for the event. Hotel director Herr Kleeberger senses that settling their dispute on the premises would be a public relations coup. But beneath academic differences lurk unimaginable chasms, along with antisemitism and homoerotic tension, forcing Kleeberger to belatedly realize that far more is at stake than a hotel's reputation. Author Daniel Mellem, himself a trained physicist, delivers a masterful work of historical fiction, written with subtlety, humor, and contemporary relevance.

Review Quotes

"More than just lighthearted entertainment with a dash of well-researched science history. It is also a lesson in the fact that total neutrality is neither possible nor desirable in times of upheaval, disruption, and reorientation. Freedom and human dignity cannot be taken for granted; we must stand up for them. That was true 100 years ago, and it remains true today."--Der Spiegel