Peter Hoffmann

In a world increasingly plagued by pollution, where limited availability of fossil fuels creates international tensions, and where global disaster from proliferating technology lurks on the horizon, the search for alternative synthetic fuels is no longer an idle scientist's dream—it is necessity. Hydrogen—with its vast and ready availability from water, its nearly universal utility, and its inherently benign characteristics—is one of several attractive synthetic fuels being considered for a "post-fossil-fuel" world, and it may well be the miracle fuel of the future. It is of special interest because, technically at least, it is so easily produced and because it produces simple water vapor in the combustion process rather than loading an already burdened environment with more hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and monoxide, sulfur, particulate matter, and even more exotic pollutants. Journalist Peter Hoffmann describes worldwide scientific work toward a future hydrogen economy, looking at the auspicious prospects of this potential fuel, at its applicability to powering everything from automobiles to airplanes, and at the principles and technologies involved in making hydrogen a viable energy alternative. He examines how—and how soon—nature's simplest element may become available as an energy carrier, as well as the economic conditions that will accompany its introduction and the social impact of "clean" hydrogen energy. The picture he paints of the fuel future is a welcome alternative to the now-common prognostications of impending doom.

A new and radical approach to training for one of athletics' toughest events, the half mile. In contrast to A Life In A Day In A Year, which over 500 pages details the journey of a young athlete from beginner to international level at 800 metres, the author presents in this essay or small monograph in less than 45 pages the distilled lessons garnered from a lifetime in the sport. Whether you are world class, an aspiring international or a just a club runner, by applying the ten steps outlined in this radical approach, it will provide you with a practical, no nonsense guide which cuts through the science to help you run a super fast half mile. 'Excellent read I agree wholeheartedly with everything you advocate. This needs to be out there for all aspirants to read.' Paul Forbes, 8 Nations 800 metres Champion 'This is "the bible" for two lap specialists and coaches who understand the truth that 800m is a sprint not an endurance event ' Paul Baxter This is the third volume of The Hermes Quartet - the god of speed - which is a tetralogy of athletics based books by Hoffmann published between 2017 and 2020. The quartet also includes A Life In A Day In A Year A Postcard From Meadowbank (2017); The True Confessions Of Retep Nnamffoh: School's Out For Ever, A 1973 Edinburgh Young Athlete's Diary (2018) and The Way We Were (2020).

This memoir describes how children and young people from Oxgangs spent their days during the seasons of the year throughout the 1960s. Despite being town dwellers we lived in the lea of the Pentland Hills and from an early age we enjoyed the changing seasons of nature and life too whether it was in the arrival of the first snows of winter; or at Easter when we rolled our eggs on the lush grass; and then under summer zephyrs and skies thriving on the freedom to roam the hills of Craiglockhart and Pentland; and then as the leaves turned, on soft Autumn days and the return to school, we celebrated the Harvest Festival.

A Life In A Day In A Year is written in the style of a folded clock and gives a unique insight into a 'year' between 1973 and 1978 in the life of a Scottish athlete. In 1978 the author got as close to beating the disgraced world number one 800 metres East German athlete, Olaf Beyer, as either Sebastian Coe or Steve Ovett. The book tells the story of the ups and the downs of a young man's day to day journey and his quest to become a champion athlete. It includes life at the 1976 Olympic Games and the 1978 European and Commonwealth Championships as well as details about his training and racing, giving an insight in to the requirements to run 1 minute 46 seconds for a half mile. There are colourful and amusing descriptions of trips abroad to behind 'the Iron Curtain' and other countries. This is the first volume of The Hermes Quartet - the god of speed - which is a tetralogy of athletics based books by Hoffmann published between 2017 and 2020. The quartet also includes A Practical Philosophy of 800 Metres Running Festina Lente (2018); The True Confessions Of Retep Nnamffoh: School's Out For Ever, A 1973 Edinburgh Young Athlete's Diary (2018) and The Way We Were (2020).

In the 1930s, Carl Goerdeler, the mayor of Leipzig and, as prices commissioner, a cabinet-level official, engaged in active opposition against the persecution of the Jews in Germany and in Eastern Europe. He did this openly until 1938 and then secretly in contact with the British Foreign Office. Having failed to change Hitler's policy against the Jews, Goerdeler joined forces with military and civil conspirators against the regime. He was hanged for treason on 2 February 1945. This book describes the actions of Carl Goerdeler, the German resistance leader who consistently engaged in efforts to protect the Jews against persecution. Using new evidence and thus far under-researched documents, including a memorandum written by Goerdeler at the end of 1941 with a proposal for the status of the Jews in the world, the book fundamentally changes our understanding of Goerdeler's plan and presents a new view of the German resistance to Hitler.

Carl Friedrich Goerdeler wurde am 2. Februar 1945 wegen seines Widerstands gegen die Nationalsozialisten gehangt. Als Oberburgermeister von Leipzig und Reichskommissar fur die Preisbildung beriet, kritisierte und beeinflusste er die Regierungspolitik. 1941 formulierte er in einer Denkschrift Vorstellungen uber eine Neuordnung der Stellung der Juden in der Welt. Einige Historiker nennen Goerdeler deshalb einen "dissimilatorischen Antisemiten", der die deutschen Juden habe ausburgern wollen. Doch die Wahrheit ist anders. Auf der Grundlage neu ermittelter und analysierter Quellen zeigt Peter Hoffmann Goerdelers unablassiges Bemuhen um den Schutz der Juden vor Verfolgung, Verlust ihrer deutschen Staatsangehorigkeit und Ermordung. Goerdeler drangte als einziger der Widerstandskampfer jahrelang das Regime, die Verfolgung der Juden zu beenden. Eine zentrale Personlichkeit der burgerlichen Opposition und der Umsturzbewegung gegen den Nationalsozialismus erfahrt eine neue Bewertung und Wurdigung. Der deutsche Widerstand erscheint in neuem Licht.

Im 18. Jahrhundert haben sich die geographischen Wissenschaften rasch entwickelt. Russische Expeditionen bestimmten die Ostausdehnung Asiens und die Gegebenheiten im Nordpazifikraum. Mitteilungen uber die russischen Forschungsergebnisse fuhrten in Mittel- und Westeuropa zu Diskussionen, die durch die dritte Weltumseglung Cooks beendet wurden. Im Buch werden drei Problemkreise verknupft: Die Entwicklung der geographischen Wissenschaften, technischen Ausstattung und Methoden im 18. Jahrhundert, die Eroberung, Erschliessung und Erforschung Sibiriens und des Nordpazifikraumes im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert sowie die Diskussion in Mittel- und Westeuropa in den 50er- bis 70er-Jahren des 18. Jahrhunderts uber die Ostausdehnung Asiens. Eingeordnet ist das Wirken der Peterburger Akademie sowie des Petersburger bzw. Moskau Historikers und Geographen G. F. Muller. In der internationalen Diskussion hat Muller mit Hilfe von A. F. Busching in Berlin die russischen Forschungsergebnisse propagiert und verteidigt, die von dem Schweizer Samuel Engel, von Robert de Vaugondy u. a. angezweifelt worden waren. Die dritte Weltumseglung Cooks bestatigte 1780 die russischen Angaben.

Life is an enduring mystery. Yet, science tells us that living beings are merely sophisticated structures of lifeless molecules. If this view is correct, where do the seemingly purposeful motions of cells and organisms originate? In Life's Ratchet , physicist Peter M. Hoffmann locates the answer to this age-old question at the nanoscale. Below the calm, ordered exterior of a living organism lies microscopic chaos, or what Hoffmann calls the molecular storm,specialized molecules immersed in a whirlwind of colliding water molecules. Our cells are filled with molecular machines, which, like tiny ratchets, transform random motion into ordered activity, and create the purpose" that is the hallmark of life. Tiny electrical motors turn electrical voltage into motion, nanoscale factories custom-build other molecular machines, and mechanical machines twist, untwist, separate and package strands of DNA. The cell is like a city,an unfathomable, complex collection of molecular workers working together to create something greater than themselves. Life, Hoffman argues, emerges from the random motions of atoms filtered through these sophisticated structures of our evolved machinery. We are agglomerations of interacting nanoscale machines more amazing than anything in science fiction. Rather than relying on some mysterious life force" to drive them,as people believed for centuries,life's ratchets harness instead the second law of thermodynamics and the disorder of the molecular storm. Grounded in Hoffmann's own cutting-edge research, Life's Ratchet reveals the incredible findings of modern nanotechnology to tell the story of how the noisy world of atoms gives rise to life itself.

How the use of nonpolluting, zero-emission hydrogen as fuel could be the cornerstone of a new energy economy. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. An invisible, tasteless, colorless gas, it can be converted to nonpolluting, zero-emission, renewable energy. When burned in an internal combustion engine, hydrogen produces mostly harmless water vapor. It performs even better in fuel cells, which can be 2.5 times as efficient as internal-combustion engines. Zero-emission hydrogen does not contribute to CO2-caused global warming. Abundant and renewable, it is unlikely to be subject to geopolitical pressures or scarcity concerns. In this new edition of his pioneering book Tomorrow's Energy, Peter Hoffmann makes the case for hydrogen as the cornerstone of a new energy economy. Hoffmann covers the major aspects of hydrogen production, storage, transportation, fuel use, and safety. He explains that hydrogen is not an energy source but a carrier, like electricity, and introduces the concept of "hydricity," the essential interchangeability of electricity and hydrogen. He brings the hydrogen story up to date, reporting on the latest developments, including new hydrogen and fuel-cell cars from GM, Daimler, BMW, Honda, and Toyota. He describes recent political controversies, including Obama administration Energy Secretary (and Nobel laureate in Physics) Steven Chu's inexplicable dismissal of hydrogen-which puts him at odds with major automakers, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and others. Our current energy system is a complex infrastructure, and phasing in hydrogen will take effort and money. But if we consider the real costs of fossil fuels-pollution and its effects, international tensions over gas and oil supplies, and climate change-we would be wise to promote its development.

In the 1930s, Carl Goerdeler, the mayor of Leipzig and, as prices commissioner, a cabinet-level official, engaged in active opposition against the persecution of the Jews in Germany and in Eastern Europe. He did this openly until 1938 and then secretly in contact with the British Foreign Office. Having failed to change Hitler's policy against the Jews, Goerdeler joined forces with military and civil conspirators against the regime. He was hanged for treason on 2 February 1945. This book describes the actions of Carl Goerdeler, the German resistance leader who consistently engaged in efforts to protect the Jews against persecution. Using new evidence and thus far under-researched documents, including a memorandum written by Goerdeler at the end of 1941 with a proposal for the status of the Jews in the world, the book fundamentally changes our understanding of Goerdeler's plan and presents a new view of the German resistance to Hitler.

While the "Valkyrie" plot by Nazi officers to kill Adolf Hitler is the best known instance of German opposition to his dictatorship, there were many other significant acts of resistance. Behind Valkyrie collects documents, letters, and testimonies of Germans who fought Hitler from within, making many of them available in their entirety and in English for the first time.

While the "Valkyrie" plot by Nazi officers to kill Adolf Hitler is the best known instance of German opposition to his dictatorship, there were many other significant acts of resistance. Behind Valkyrie collects documents, letters, and testimonies of Germans who fought Hitler from within, making many of them available in their entirety and in English for the first time.

Am 18. November 2011 begehen wir den 300. Geburtstag von Michail Vasil'evic Lomonosov (1711-1765), dem ersten russischen Wissenschaftler von internationaler Bedeutung. Der aus dem hohen Norden stammende Sohn einer Fischerfamilie wirkte nach der Ausbildung in Moskau, Sankt Petersburg, Marburg und Freiberg an der Petersburger Akademie der Wissenschaften als Chemiker, Physiker und Astronom. Er reformierte die russische Sprache, schuf Mosaike und foerderte die Grundung der heute seinen Namen tragenden Moskauer Universitat. Sein Schaffen kennzeichnet eine Zasur in der russischen Kultur- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte. Das Jubilaum war Anlass, jahrzehntelange Lomonosov-Studien zusammenzufassen. Vorgelegt wird eine Biographie, die sowohl die Bedeutung und Vielseitigkeit als auch die zeit- und charakterbedingten Grenzen Lomonosovs herausarbeitet.

Peter der Grosse wird in seinem Wirken als Militarreformer sowie als Truppenkommandeur und Feldherr geschildert. Mit dem Vergleich der Schlachten bei Lesnaja und bei Poltawa werden neue Akzente gesetzt. Der russische Sieg bei Poltawa wird als ein Streitpunkt in den gegenwartigen russischen und ukrainischen Auffassungen gewertet. Das "Militarreglement von 1716" erweist sich als Konvolut, die Petrinische Gesetzgebung damit gegenuber der bisherigen Forschung als vielschichtiger. Mit den Petrinischen Reformen setzt sich in Russland die Herausloesung des Militars aus der Zivilgesellschaft durch.

Im Zweiten Weltkrieg war das Attentat vom 20. Juli 1944 der ernsthafteste und nach allen Seiten hin vorbereitete Versuch, Hitler und sein Regime zu stürzen, den Rechtsstaat wiederherzustellen und den Krieg zu verkürzen. Die eigentlichen Akteure waren Offiziere, aber im Hintergrund standen Politiker und Gewerkschafter aus allen Lagern. Peter Hoffmann stellt in diesem Band die Tat des Oberst Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg vor dem Hintergrund der Gesamtgeschichte deutschen Widerstands im Dritten Reich dar. Er zeigt Formen und Motive des Widerstands auf, seine innen- wie außenpolitischen Probleme und beleuchtet den Umgang mit dem Widerstand nach 1945. Auf der Grundlage einer mehr als 30jährigen Forschungserfahrung führt der Autor so prägnant in das Thema ein.

An intriguing portrait of the central figure in the July 1944 bomb plot against Hitler and a gripping and authoritative account of the planning and execution of the conspiracy

Am 20. Juli 1944 verübte Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg ein Attentat auf Hitler, das Deutschland von seinem verbrecherischen Diktator befreien und den Zweiten Weltkrieg beenden sollte. Der Historiker Peter Hoffmann, einer der besten Kenner des deutschen Widerstands, entwirft in seiner zum Standardwerk gewordenen Biographie ein faszinierendes Porträt Stauffenbergs, seines familiären Umfelds und seiner geistigen Wurzeln. Er schildert den schwierigen Weg des Offiziers, der sich lange an den Treueeid auf Hitler gebunden fühlte, hin zum Widerstandskämpfer, der die Ermordung Hitlers als einzigen Ausweg sah. 100. Geburtstag Stauffenbergs am 15. November 2007.