Reading rank 322
The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler
, subject: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, the Haber-Bosch process, BASF/IG Farben, synthetic fertilizer, explosives, and German chemical industry history, 2008
The nitrate wars, traced in close historical detail through a story with an unusual number of moving parts.
61
Coverage Score
2
Scored evidence
About the book
Hager tells the intertwined story of Haber, Bosch, and industrial ammonia, tracing the process's effects on fertilizer, food production, warfare, and Germany's chemical industry.
Why read it
Best if you want a detailed history of the nitrate wars and are ready to follow a complicated, many-sided story.
Key themes
- The nitrate wars in detail
- A complicated story that holds attention
Evidence and original sources
Source: official Founders episode — #86
This record is supported by 4 public evidence rows linked to original Founders episodes.
- Carl Bosch and Fritz Haber (A Genius and a Doomed Tycoon) — David identifies this book as the one he read that week and the focus of the entire episode.