Appendix 1 - Further reading

Summary

Some interesting books

In this appendix I list a few books which the reader may find interesting. I have not made a special search, so the choice is restricted to books that I remember with pleasure.

There is, however, one problem.

At a literary dinner [during the Napoleonic wars, the poet] Campbell asked leave to propose a toast, and gave the health of Napoleon Bonaparte. The war was at its height, and the very mention of Napoleon's name, except in conjunction with some uncomplimentary epithet, was in most circles regarded as an outrage. A storm of groans broke out, and Campbell with difficulty could get a few sentences heard. ‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘you must not mistake me. I admit that the French Emperor is a tyrant. I admit that he is a monster. I admit that he is the sworn foe of our nation, and, if you will, of the whole human race. But, gentlemen, we must be just to our great enemy. We must not forget that he once shot a bookseller.’

Without going quite so far, mathematicians may be permitted to mutter a mild expletive when they consider the way that classic mathematical texts are allowed to go out of print†. I expect that most of the titles given will be accessible, I do not expect that all of them will be.