The alchemy of air: a jewish genius, a doomed tycoon, and the scientific discovery that fed the world but fueled the rise of hitler - Thomas Hager

A sweeping history of tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the Haber-Bosch discovery that changed billions of lives--including your own.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, humanity was facing global disaster: Mass starvation was about to become a reality.

A call went out to the world's scientists to find a solution.

This is the story of the two men who found it: brilliant, self-important Fritz Haber and reclusive, alcoholic Carl Bosch.

Together they discovered a way to make bread out of air, built city-sized factories, and saved millions of lives.

But their epochal triumph came at a price we are still paying.

The Haber-Bosch process was also used to make the gunpowder and explosives that killed millions during the two world wars.

Both men were vilified during their lives; both, disillusioned and disgraced, died tragically.

The Alchemy of Air is the extraordinary, previously untold story of a discovery that changed the way we grow food and the way we make war-and that promises to continue shaping our lives in fundamental and dramatic ways.