Allan Chapman received his B.A. (First Class) in History from Lancaster University in 1972, his D.Phil. in History of Science from the University of Oxford in 1978, and his M.A. from Oxford in 1983. He is the author of two other books on the history of science, and of more than 50 articles in international academic journals. He currently lectures in the Faculty of Modern History, Oxford University, and is a member of Wadham College, Oxford.