The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus

Phosphorus has had a remarkable career. Alchemists came across it, apothecaries prescribed it, industrialists put it to use, and in the twentieth century it was drawn into warfare. Over the centuries people have described it as both a poison and a miracle elixir, and it has even been linked to the old puzzle of spontaneous human combustion.

John Emsley follows that history from the element's discovery through to its many uses, tracing how one substance came to be thought of in such different ways. The account keeps its attention on people and events, so it reads more like a story than a textbook.

The book will appeal to readers interested in the history of science, to chemistry enthusiasts, and to anyone who enjoys tales of invention and crime set against the growth of modern industry.

Edition note: published by John Wiley & Sons Inc in 2000, 327 pages, ISBN-13 9780471394556.